Flat-faced dog breeds including Bulldogs and French Bulldogs suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome causing chronic breathing difficulties.
Brachycephalic dogs with severe BOAS cannot breathe normally throughout their lives. Every period of excitement, exercise, or heat is accompanied by respiratory distress. Surgical correction helps some dogs but cannot transform a fundamentally compromised anatomy. Consumer demand driven by social media aesthetics perpetuates breeding for conformations that cause lifelong suffering. Regulatory reform of breed standards and breeder licensing is necessary to supplement consumer choice.