Trade Me bans sale of pugs, British bulldogs, French bulldogs over health concerns

Wednesday, 17 January 2018

Trade Me is banning the sale of three breeds of dog which suffer from a severe breathing condition.

From March 1, pugs, British bulldogs and French bulldogs will be banned for sale on Trade Me. This includes purebreds and cross breeds, which all suffer from Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS).

The New Zealand Veterinary Association has described the life of these flat-faced breeds as like 'spending your whole day trying to breathe through a pillow'.

In May, the association called for Kiwi dog lovers to think again before joining the rush to own trendy breeds, like pugs and French bulldogs.

READ MORE: Fashionable dogs facing a life time of misery, vet association warns

Errol Tooth, from Pokeno, has been breeding and showing ​French bulldogs for 30 years.

Tooth was pleased with the Trade Me ban, and said established, responsible breeders did not sell their puppies on Trade Me.

'A lot of people get into breeding these dogs for the money that they can fetch on Trade Me, but they're not worried about the dog's health. 

'There are a lot of unhealthy ones coming from puppy farms,' Tooth said.

'Hopefully it will reduce the numbers of puppy farms. It could be a good thing.'

In a blog post, Trade Me said the decision was not made lightly.

'We know how popular and well loved these breeds are, however, we cannot, in good conscience, allow the sale of these animals any further.'

'We operate under the mantra that Trade Me is for life, and we think that same consideration should be extended to man's best friend.

'We know this isn't going to stop these dogs being bred, but we can't in good conscience allow the sale of these animals to continue on our site.'

Animals suffering from clinically significant BOAS can struggle to breathe during exercise and may suffer collapse due to lack of air. 

The signs can vary in severity from mild snoring or snorting noises to severe breathing problems.

'There's now a worldwide trend to reduce the popularity of these breeds, and we think that tea pot needs to be swirled in New Zealand,' Trade Me said.

The ban would affect about 40 breeders from listing on Trade Me each month, it said.

The dogs can still be adopted on Trade Me.

SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen​ said these dogs deserved better.

'Pugs, British bulldogs and French bulldogs are lovely little dogs, but their exaggerated physical features caused them considerable welfare issues.

'For those New Zealanders looking for a new addition to their family, we ask that you instead consider adopting one of the thousands of rescue dogs who are looking for homes.'

New Zealand Veterinary Association chief executive Mark Ward said the veterinary profession has long held concerns for many breeds of cats and dogs, whose welfare was compromised from being bred to look a certain way.

'Without correctional surgery, large numbers of these dogs live with chronic pain and distress, with many owners and breeders unaware that their dog is suffering.'

This is the first time Trade Me has banned the sale of certain dog breeds on the grounds of animal welfare and health.

However, it banned five other breeds as they were 'menacing dogs'. This includes American Pit Bull Terrier, Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, and Presa Canario.

BUT WHAT ABOUT CATS?

Trade Me policy and compliance team leader James Ryan said he understood some cat breeds, such as Persians, suffered from BOAS, however not too the same extent.

'The reason we banned these three dog breeds was because of the extent and severity of their health issues. Research we've seen has suggested that between 90 and 95 per cent of these dogs suffers BOAS to varying degrees.

'This is the first step, [and] if we get compelling evidence that other animals listed on-site suffer widespread, long-term health effects, we will look into it and consider extending the ban.'

* Comments on this article have been closed.