Moonpig to stop selling cards with pugs and French bulldogs after complaints
Moonpig is to stop selling all cards featuring images of pugs and French bulldogs after campaigners claimed it "normalises" their suffering from respiratory breathing issues.
The online greetings card retailer confirmed to PA news agency that it had removed or is in the process of pulling cards featuring the breeds.
A search for "pug" and "French bulldog" on Moonpig's website on Friday did not produce any cards showing either breed, though several cards adorned with images of English bulldogs - which are also flat-faced - remained on sale.
Archived web data showed listings for Christmas cards featuring both pugs and French bulldogs in festive hats.
Animal rights group Peta - who previously claimed the FTSE-listed company was "promoting" breathing-impaired dog breeds - Moonpig had told them they would stop designing or sourcing any card designs featuring the breeds.
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Peta had claimed the FTSE-listed retail company was 'promoting' breathing-impaired dog breeds (Getty Images)Welcoming the decision, Peta director of corporate projects Yvonne Taylor said: "By banning images of pugs and French bulldogs, Moonpig is acting responsibly and helping put an end to the promotion of dog breeds with painful, life-threatening deformities.
She added that they would be "celebrating this compassionate first step" but said the group will now "keep working with Moonpig to extend this new policy to all breathing-impaired breeds, including Boston terriers, boxers, and shih tzus."
Peta said the dogs are bred for a particular look, resulting in shortened airways that cause an array of symptoms, including laboured breathing, snorting, gagging, and collapsing.
It also makes dogs more likely to experience vomiting, exercise intolerance, heatstroke, and even death, the group added.
The animal rights organisation noted that restrictions have already been imposed on breeding these dogs in Austria, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands.
A Royal Veterinary College study found that pug can no longer be considered a 'typical dog' from a health perspective (Getty Images)A Royal Veterinary College (RVC) study published in May 2022 suggested that "urgent action is needed" as many health issues of pugs are associated with their "extreme body shape".
From a study population of 905,544 dogs, its analysis included random samples of 4,308 pugs and 21,835 non-pugs.
They found that the health of pugs in the UK is now substantially different and largely worse than other breeds, revealing they are almost twice as likely to experience one or more disorders annually compared with other dogs.
The RVC, the UK's largest independent veterinary school, said at the time that "pug can no longer be considered a 'typical dog' from a health perspective".
In 2019, Moonpig pledged to stop selling cards depicting "captive great apes in unnatural situations" after a similar intervention by Peta.
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Moonpig have been approached for comment.
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