Source: Reuters
(September 14, 2023) A Dutch dog breeder has been fined 3,000 euros ($3,200) for breeding bulldogs with too short a snout, which leads to breathing difficulties, as the Netherlands cracks down on overbreeding of pets. The Dutch regulator NVWA, which is part of the agriculture ministry, said on Thursday that an inspection had shown that the French bulldogs used for breeding had abnormally short snouts and irregular respiration, even at rest. Dutch legislation already bans animal breeding that harms the health and wellbeing of the offspring, but agriculture minister Piet Adema is also preparing legislation that will ban the ownership and advertising of all pets with attributes proved to cause medical problems...Read more» |
Sources: Independent
(August 17, 2023) An animal welfare charity has urged dog owners not to buy certain breeds with “exaggerated features”. The Welsh charity, known as Hope Rescue, has put out a plea after 38 French Bulldogs were signed over to the organisation from Cardiff City Council, which was given ownership of the dogs as part of a seizure under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Hope Rescue said the dogs had been bred for “exaggerated features such as thick nose ropes, fluffy coats, and their desirable colouring,” without considering the implications on the animal’s health...Read more» |
Source: faunalytics
(August 7, 2023) Veterinarians constantly face ethically challenging situations in their jobs. They often have to make difficult moral judgments about how to treat an animal, and the stakes of their decisions may be life-or-death for their patients. Because of this, the European Union has required all veterinary schools’ curricula to include ethics courses since 2005. However, it’s uncertain whether having taken an ethics course causes veterinarians to engage in more thoughtful ethical reasoning about the dilemmas they face...Read more» |
Source: Aeon
(March 9, 2023) Cuteness in offspring serves a key evolutionary function of eliciting a caregiving response from adults. Cuteness is also one of the most basic and powerful forces shaping human relations with dogs. But unfortunately, it isn’t all sweetness and light – the enduring cuteness of certain dogs throughout life has become a status symbol unto itself. Unfortunately, the cutest and most popular breeds tend also to be those with the most significant risk of health and behavioural problems. Cuteness is often coupled with canine discomfort. The second most fashionable breed of dog in the US last year was the French bulldog, affectionately known as the Frenchie, distinctive for its large head, extremely short muzzle, big round eyes, and humungous bat ears. Alongside the Frenchie, other brachycephalic (‘short-headed’) breeds remain among the most desired, most frequently purchased, and most likely to appear on Instagram and other social media platforms...Read more» |
Source: VIN News Service
(February 21, 2023) In what may be a world first, the Netherlands is preparing legislation that would ban the ownership of pets with harmful physical characteristics that may include extremely flat faces or tightly folded ears. Some countries, states and cities prohibit or restrict ownership of pet breeds perceived to be dangerous to humans. The Netherlands appears to be the first jurisdiction to move toward banning ownership based on harm to the animal due to its physical features...Read more» |
Source: The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(February 4, 2023) The hog industry hails the gas chambers in which pigs are prepared for slaughter as “animal friendly,” “stress free” and “painless.” That would be a good thing, since on average, four pigs are slaughtered each second in the United States. But a California activist recently sneaked into a slaughterhouse at night and installed spy cams inside a gas chamber to record this supposedly humane process. The resulting videos are horrifying: They show the pigs squealing desperately, thrashing about and gasping for air before eventually succumbing...Read more» |
Source: AVMA News
(January 30, 2023) A few years ago, the University of Cambridge and The Kennel Club in the U.K. developed the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme as a way to objectively measure the severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome in dogs and help make a clinical diagnosis. The intent of the scheme is also to improve understanding of the condition, increase awareness, and ultimately reduce the incidence of BOAS. Now the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease, has joined this international effort and has licensed the RFGS for use in the U.S. and Canada. The OFA is instituting respiratory function grading of brachycephalic breeds as one of its health screening tests...Read more» |
Source: CNBC
(January 24, 2023) Chewy, the e-commerce pet-goods giant best known for its convenient auto-ship services and generous return policies, wants to grow its veterinary telehealth service as part of an overall push into health care. While the telehealth service is a small part of the company’s rapidly expanding health offerings, it is important to its strategy. Yet it also faces regulatory obstacles and skepticism from the veterinary community. Longtime veterinarians told CNBC the service can have some benefit for minor situations, or for people who don’t have easy access to vet care. But it could create problems for pets, too, they said...Read more» |
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