
American Kennel Club Harms French Bulldogs' Health, PETA Says in Suit
The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, made the accusation in a lawsuit that seeks to eliminate the kennel club's standards for the breeds, which PETA says conflict with the organization's stated mission of advancing 'canine health and well-being.'
'The A.K.C.'s official breed standards for the bulldog, French bulldog, pug, dachshund and Chinese shar-pei provide blueprints for the breeding of deformed, unhealthy dogs,' the group says in the suit, which was filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
A spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club said in a statement that the organization was reviewing the lawsuit but 'categorically' rejected 'PETA's mis-characterizations of specific breed standards and their assertion that these standards create unhealthy dogs.'
'The health and welfare of dogs are paramount and at the core of our mission,' the spokeswoman, Brandi H. Munden, said in the statement.
A substantial portion of PETA's suit focuses on the French bulldog, the most popular dog breed in the United States in 2024 for a third straight year after ending the Labrador retriever's 31-year reign in the No. 1 spot, according to the kennel club.
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