The RSPCA warns some pets, including French Bull dogs, Persian cats, reptiles and fish, could be suffering needlessly because of the way they’ve been bred, as ITV News’ Charlie Frost reports
A record number of flat-faced dog breeds are being abandoned in the UK as owners struggle to cope with rising vet bills, the RSPCA has warned.
The animal welfare charity revealed it had seen a 3,800% increase in the number of French bulldogs coming into its care in the last 10 years.
In 2016, the RSPCA took in just six French bulldogs, also known as Frenchies, but that figure rose to 234 last year.
French bulldogs have become one of the UK’s most popular pedigree breeds, but their flat-faced features can often lead to a range of health issues – including breathing difficulties.
These complications can result in expensive, and invasive surgery, to help the dogs breathe – hitting owners in the pocket with crippling vet bills.
In a new report titled: ‘The Shape of Suffering’, the charity described the issue as “one of the biggest welfare problems pets face today ” and called for owners and breeders to “end the suffering”.
“The disturbing truth is, these pets are essentially being bred to suffer because people, and society, want them to look a certain way – there is no other reason to breed these traits into them other than desire for a particular aesthetic,” RSPCA Scientific and Policy Manager Ashleigh Brown, lead author of the report, said.
“But animals are not accessories, and no animal should suffer just to look fashionable or meet the latest trend.”
The charity said it had also seen an alarming rise in British Bulldogs being handed in, while there was also a 192% jump in Pugs coming into RSPCA centres in 2025 compared to 2016.
- Bulldog Grace faces a painful future, her owner Tony Randall told ITV’s Good Morning Britain
Tony Randall rescued a bulldog called Grace who had been bred by a previous owner.
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Randall pleaded with anyone thinking of buying a flat-faced breed to think twice.
“Having Grace and knowing what her future holds, I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through that,” he said.
“She’s got back problems, and eventually her back will give in because of the way she’s been bred.”
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