The Dutch government has taken radical measures, legally banning the further breeding of dog breeds with overly short muzzles. The first breed under scrutiny was the pug. The breed club's leadership decided to immediately cease breeding short-nosed pugs, as they did not want to wait for breeders to be fined or subjected to other enforcement sanctions.
"In fact, breeding short-nosed dogs has been banned in the Netherlands since 2014, but until now nothing has changed," says Milo Laureij, a staff member of Dier & Recht, an organization advocating for animal welfare and rights. "Short-nosed dog breeds are products of fashion trends, and over the past decades, their quality of life has gradually deteriorated into unhealthy territory due to the exaggerated proportions. These dog breeds often suffer from congenital respiratory disorders as well as other chronic diseases and cannot give birth naturally," continues Milo Laureij.
The muzzle length
According to the new criteria, the muzzle length must be at least one-third of the length of the head. The introduction of the new law marks the end of the pug breed being bred according to the previous rules in the Netherlands, and not only the pug but also the popular English and French bulldogs, as well as 19 other short-muzzled breeds!
The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit, abbreviated: LNV) announced in a statement that strict inspections are expected, and radical measures will be taken against breeders who do not comply with the new law!
The fashion trend has faded
Dier & Recht calls on the breed clubs of the affected short-nosed dogs to follow the example of the Commedia pug club. Milo Laureij, representing the organization, once again emphasizes that short muzzles are extremely unnatural. "In the past, the pug had a longer nose and muzzle section, which has significantly shortened over the past decades. This is a fashion trend that ultimately turned into unhealthy proportions. The short nose and muzzle are not the only problems with the breed; due to their tiny skulls, their eyes bulge strongly, and their skin is too wrinkled, leading to inflammation often developing between the folds, which is painful for the dog! These exaggerated external features give the pug its characteristically cute appearance, but the cuteness factor cannot come at the expense of health."
Hans Baaij, director of Dier & Recht, welcomes the breed club's decision. "We are satisfied with the pug breed club's decision; we believe they are pioneering, as they were the first to dare to make a decision that no breed club anywhere in the world has yet undertaken. We will continue to put pressure on the clubs and breeders of other short-nosed dog breeds, and submit enforcement requests against those who do not comply with the new law and continue to breed dogs that fall into the prohibited category."
Traffic light system applied in breeding
The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality has developed a new system to assess healthy and exaggerated proportions. The traffic light system will henceforth function as a measurement system in breeding.
The red zone applies to dogs or breeds whose muzzle length is shorter than one-third of the head, such as the pug, the English and the French bulldog. Further breeding of these dogs is now prohibited!
The green zone applies to dogs or breeds whose muzzle length is at least half of the head length. Breeding of these dogs remains permitted!
Transitional provision applies to dogs and breeds falling into the orange band: here the muzzle length is between one-third and one-half of the head. These dogs can only be bred if they meet the other breeding criteria!
The new law affects 22 dog breeds
The first 12 are extremely short-nosed breeds, the nose and muzzle of these breeds need to be corrected in the short term, and the remaining 10 breeds over the longer term. The ban affects several popular breeds, as seen:
- Affenpincher
- English Bulldog
- Boston Terrier
- French Bulldog
- Belgian Griffon
- Brussels Griffon
- Petit Brabancon
- Japanese Spaniel
- King Charles Spaniel
- Pug
- Pekingese
- Shih-Tzu
- Bordeaux Dog
- Boxer
- Bullmastiff
- Pomeranian Dwarf Spitz
- Chihuahua
- Lhasa Apso
- Mastiff
- Mastino Napoletano
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
Notes:
1. The Companion Animal Genetic Expert Center is an information and research center that since 2014 has been examining and researching genetic information related to hereditary diseases and birth defects occurring in companion animals. The Research Center contributes to improving the health of purebred dogs and cats in the Netherlands by measuring the prevalence of genetic diseases within breed populations and applying modern DNA diagnostics.
2. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) primarily supervises various companies and institutions to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. To this end, the organization employs veterinarians, inspectors, and supervisors who monitor compliance in different areas and apply sanctions or fines if necessary. The NVWA is overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV).
Sources:
The official website of the Dutch media outlet RTL NIEUWS
The official website of the Raad van Beher Holland Kennel Club
The official website of the Commedia pug breed club
Please share this post with your friends and other dog lovers, as it may be useful to them too! Thank you!
More useful and valuable articles for dog lovers can be found on the author's official website.
Visit the official website of dog article writer and author Ildikó Vámosi:
Http://ildikovamosi.hu/
🙂 Thank you for honoring me with your visit! 🙂
