5 Reasons Not to Buy a Pug
Barely able to breathe – let alone run or chase a ball – a pug will suffer from severe health problems for life. Why? Because of the genetic deformities humans have purposely bred them for.
The characteristic nose, curly tail, and small head are just some of the deformities a pug has that significantly affect the breed’s health and well-being. A study conducted by the Royal Veterinary College found that pugs’ features are so exaggerated they can no longer be considered “typical” dogs.
If you’re thinking about buying a pug, read on to discover why you shouldn’t.
Here are five reasons why you should never buy a pug:
1. A Pug’s Head Is Too Small for Their Face
Over the years, driven by a vain desire for specific physical attributes, humans have bred pugs to have much smaller heads. But while their head size has decreased, the rest of them has not. As a result, their brain and other soft tissue is squished into a skull that is far too small. Sounds uncomfortable, right? That’s because it is. Pugs’ heads are unable to comfortably house their teeth, tongue, eyes, or even skin, leaving them susceptible to numerous painful health conditions, including eye infections, dry eye, and corneal ulcers due to shallow eye sockets.
2. Pugs Are a Breathing-Impaired Breed
Just like other flat-faced breeds, such as bulldogs, pugs suffer from breathing impairments. This makes them 54 times more likely to suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome – a disease that greatly limits their ability to breathe – than other types of dogs. Their drastically shortened airways lead to an array of distressing symptoms, including laboured breathing, snorting, gagging, and collapsing. It’s like “trying to breathe through a really narrow straw”, according to Dr Myfanwy Hill, a veterinary surgeon who works at the University of Cambridge. Pugs are also twice as likely to suffer – or even die – from heatstroke than other breeds, meaning they are at much higher risk in hot weather.
All these life-altering health issues limit pugs’ ability to experience the simple pleasures a dog should be able to enjoy, like chasing a ball. No dog should suffer this way.
3. Pugs Are Prone to Painful Skin Infections
Pugs are at higher risk of developing skin infections because they are bred by humans to develop folds of skin. The creases on their face accumulate bacteria and dirt, which remains trapped, since pugs are unable to clean between the folds. These areas can then become infected, which often causes unrelenting itchiness and painful sores.
4. Pugs Are Likely to Have a Spine Malformation
Did you know that the little curlicue tail that pugs have been bred for may actually be the result of a malformed, wedge-shaped vertebra called a hemivertebra? This deliberate and purely aesthetic feature can lead to chronic pain, wobbliness on the hind legs, and incontinence.
5. Buying a Pug Means Leaving Another Dog in a Shelter
Horrific health conditions are not the only reason you should never buy a pug. Buying any dog means that an animal in a shelter loses their chance at finding a new home with a loving family. Breeders and puppy mills continue to shamefully and recklessly pump out puppies destined to suffer while over 100,000 dogs – and countless cats – are without homes in the UK.
It’s Time to Ban the Breeding of Pugs and Other Flat-Faced Dogs
Restrictions have already been imposed on the breeding of breathing-impaired dogs in Austria, Germany, and Norway. In 2014, the Netherlands went one step further and banned the breeding of around 20 short-snouted breeds. The country is also set to extend this law to ensure people cannot own these breeds, and images of them on social media or in advertising will also be banned. The UK must follow suit to prevent even more dogs from spending their lives in severe discomfort and pain.
Take Action for Pugs
Crufts, run by The Kennel Club, is a celebration of everything that’s wrong with the dog-breeding industry, from extreme breeding practices to the inbreeding of closely related animals. While the BBC stopped airing Crufts more than 15 years ago, Channel 4 continues to broadcast this grotesque parade. Please send a message urging Channel 4 to take the show off our TV screens:
Always Adopt, Never Shop
The best way to avoid supporting the cruel and exploitative dog-breeding industry is to adopt an animal from your local shelter. Learn more about the animal-homelessness crisis, and please share this blog with your friends if they’re considering welcoming a dog into their home:
Animal Homelessness: The Crisis and the Cure
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