"Dog shelters are being forced to euthanise flat-faced dogs amid a 'heartbreaking' rise in abandonments for these trendy breeds. Social media fame and celebrity endorsements have seen Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Boxers become some of the most popular breeds in the country. However, these dogs' cute appearances often come at the price of lifelong debilitating health conditions that owners are frequently unable to handle."
"Sarah Roser, head of operations at Hope Rescue in South Wales, told the Daily Mail: 'We're looking at a dog where nothing is functioning as it should be, and sadly, those are the animals that sometimes we have to make a euthanasia decision for. 'No matter what we do medically, we're never going to get them to a point where they're free of pain.'"
Abandonment rates for brachycephalic breeds such as Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Boxers have surged due to popularity driven by social media and celebrity influence. These breeds often possess extreme conformations—flat faces, bulging eyes, shortened limbs, and twisted spines—that impair breathing, mobility, and basic bodily functions. Many abandoned dogs require immediate and ongoing veterinary treatment, including expensive surgeries, yet owners frequently cannot manage the health burdens. Shelters report being overwhelmed, with some seeing increases up to 500% in affected dogs since 2017. Shelter managers sometimes must euthanise animals suffering chronic, unresolvable pain that cannot be alleviated medically.
Read at Mail Online
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