Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) causes chronic respiratory distress in flat-faced dog breeds and is a growing veterinary and welfare crisis driven by extreme breeding.
BOAS represents a welfare crisis of human creation - dogs deliberately bred toward conformations that impair basic respiratory function. A dog that cannot breathe normally, sleep without snoring and exercise without distress is experiencing significant ongoing welfare harm. The popularity of brachycephalic breeds despite widespread awareness of their health problems reflects a failure of welfare education and regulatory will. Mandatory health testing before breeding is an essential minimum welfare response.