In an ideal world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog. Unfortunately, this is far from reality. Breeding dogs, particularly English Bulldogs, is a highly lucrative business. Puppies typically sell from $1,500-$5,000, and English Bulldogs are becoming increasingly popular. This leads to continued overproduction, overpopulation, and animal suffering: only a fraction of which rescue groups are able to address.

Most of the dogs we take in (either directly or via shelters) are from people who failed to educate themselves about owning a bulldog. This breed requires expensive care, is susceptible to many health issues (some of which can be avoided with preventative care), and can become dangerous if not provided proper socialization and training. Too many breeders fail to communicate this information when selling a dog. Most (not all) will sell and ship a puppy to anyone who can meet their asking price, with no system in place to ensure the dog is cared for. We also routinely take in dogs who have been bred repeatedly, and then discarded once they are too old.

 

If you are set on purchasing a puppy, please visit their facility and ask to see their other dogs. If they say no, this is big a red flag.

 

 

The American Kennel Club

 

Despite claiming to be a “champion for dogs,” the American Kennel Club is directly responsible for tremendous animal suffering.

To be clear, the AKC as an organization is all about money. Its income is dependent on registration fees, and this is reflected in their policies. According to the organization, “The AKC opposes the concept of breeding permits [and] breeding bans… specifically those based on the number of dogs owned or maintained.”* In other words, the organization wants to register as many dogs as possible, and opposes any restrictions on the number of dogs a breeder can breed, as well as any type of regulations on conditons. The organization does not provide oversight of its breeders, and many AKC registered breeders are often puppy mills.

 

NOBR is not categorically opposed to breeding dogs. However, this must come with proper regulations that protect animals before profits. The AKC is unable to even discuss this.

 

In the case of the English Bulldog, the American Kennel Club comes up short yet again. The AKC claims one of its goals is to preserve purebred bloodlines, but for bulldogs, deliberate human influence on breeding has rendered this breed as one of the unhealthy and most susceptible to serious health issues. Ironically, the British Kennel Club has adapted its standards to facilitate healthier dogs (leaner and with less breathing issues), but the AKC refuses.

 

 

For more info, please check out http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/can-the-bulldog-be-saved.html?_r=0

 

*http://images.akc.org/pdf/canine_legislation/position_statements/Breeding_Restrictions.pdf