Stop accepting double standards in animal welfare

There is a double standard when it comes to animal welfare, writes Alex Begg.

Selective breeding for ‘desirable’ aesthetic traits in dogs has resulted in some breeds such as the French Bulldog having breathing difficulties. Picture: AFP

Why are so many city dwellers intent on digging up animal-welfare issues on farms when there are animals with serious animal welfare issues sitting in their own backyards?

Animal-welfare concerns are often raised about mulesing of sheep and dehorning of cattle. These are husbandry practices that are actually being phased out by the selective breeding of polled cattle and wrinkle-free sheep. But pet breeding is trending in the opposite direction.

The American Kennel Club’s list of the most popular dog breeds of 2020 shows Labradors top the list as usual, but the French Bulldog has climbed from fourth to second on the list.

Brachycephalic or “flat faced” breeds include French Bulldogs, British Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Boxers, and are popular because of their squished faces and bulgy eyes.

But these animals suffer from a range of conditions including breathing difficulties due to their short nose, and narrow throat and nostrils, an increased risk of skin infections due to the wrinkles around their nose and mouth, hemivertebrae and an increased risk of eye injuries. They are at an increased risk of heat stress because panting, their primary mechanism to cool themselves, is severely compromised. Imagine the uproar if cows had difficulty breathing.

Just because livestock end up being slaughtered doesn’t mean that they have a life without good welfare. Critics of the livestock and dairy industries forget that intense breeding is used to select for “desirable” aesthetic traits in dog breeds. How does this not count as exploiting animals?

It is not ethical to buy a puppy knowing it will have to undergo multiple surgeries in order to be able to breathe to an acceptable standard.

Livestock are on the whole extremely healthy animals. The proof is in the production. Unhealthy cows don’t produce as much milk. Bulls with lameness aren’t able to mate.

It’s time that we stop accepting this double standard of animal welfare and reconsider why so many of us are OK with dogs suffering just to please us aesthetically.

● Alex Begg is an intern with The Weekly Times, studying a Master of Agricultural Sciences specialising in Animal Science at the University of Melbourne, and worked as a vet nurse for five years

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