PETA sues American Kennel Club over standards for French bulldogs, other breeds

FILE - French bulldogs compete in breed group judging during the th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show May at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York AP Photo Julia Nikhinson File AP Julia Nikhinson FILE - French bulldogs compete in breed group judging during the th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show May at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York AP Photo Julia Nikhinson File AP Julia Nikhinson NEW YORK AP The animal rights group PETA sued Tuesday to try to force the American Kennel Club to abandon the standards it backs for hyper-popular French bulldogs and chosen other breeds contending that the influential club is promoting unhealthy physical features The lawsuit turns up the heat around one of the biggest flashpoints in dogdom the attributes that have been honed to define selected breeds including the Frenchie which the AKC ranks as the United States bulk popular breed The AKC s official breed standards for the bulldog French bulldog pug dachshund and Chinese shar-pei provide blueprints for the breeding of deformed unhealthy dogs PETA says in the suit The AKC mentioned it s committed to protecting the healthcare heritage and well-being of purebred dogs and that responsibly bred dogs that conform to the standards are healthy We categorically reject PETA s mischaracterizations of specific breed standards and their assertion that these standards create unhealthy dogs the club mentioned in a declaration adding that dog robustness and welfare is paramount and at the core of our mission Founded in the New York-based AKC is a nonprofit that acts like a league for various canine competitions and runs the United States oldest dog registry where owners may choose to document their dogs existence and accomplishments Mixed-breed dogs and rescues can be registered as canine partners and compete in particular sports but the club s history is closely tied to fanciers who cultivate and show purebreds Each breed has its own club that sets the standard or ideal characteristics for the dogs The AKC reviews approves and promulgates them PETA also called People for the Ethical Healing of Animals describes itself as an animal liberation organization Its advocacy includes boycotts and litigation Its supporters are known for staging sometimes disruptive protests in settings including a papal audience a Starbucks and sporting events such as the Westminster Kennel Club dog show The Norfolk Virginia-based nonprofit opposes dog breeding in general and has clashed for years with the AKC Peppered with photos and diagrams PETA s new lawsuit runs through medical problems that can beset short-legged long-backed dachshunds the animal equivalent of a poorly designed bridge in PETA s view and shar-peis which can have spates of fever and inflammation known as shar-pei autoinflammatory illness The complaint points to pugs exposure of injuries to their marbly eyes and susceptibility to breathing problems and overheating because of their flat faces The suit zeros in on those and other parts of bulldogs and Frenchies including the big heads that often prompt caesarian births The various problems that PETA cites don t afflict all dogs of these breeds and particular do agility dock diving and other sports But the conditions can be serious for those that have them In the U K where research involving about dogs suggested that Frenchies have very different and largely much poorer wellness than do other canines the British Veterinary Association campaigns against advertisements that feature flat-faced breeds The Netherlands has prohibited breeding very short-snouted dogs Norway s Supreme Court however declined to block the breeding of English bulldogs but upheld a lower court s prohibition on breeding cavalier King Charles spaniels citing a different set of physical condition concerns The AKC says the breed standards it approves reflect decades of collaboration with veterinary experts and breeders Chosen breed clubs donate to and participate in dog wellness research and the AKC says it has given over million since to its canine soundness research charity Source