01/07/2022
London (CNN)Veterinarians are calling on animal lovers to stop buying English bulldogs, because of "major" concerns about their health.
The breed, also known as the British bulldog, is "compromised" by a "high rate of health issues related to extreme body shape" that has been bred into them, according to the UK's Royal Veterinary College (RVC).
A new study by the college calls for "urgent action" to reduce the many serious health problems that, it says, are associated with the breed's "exaggerated features," such as their flat faces.
The vets hope the study, which reveals that English bulldogs are more than twice as likely to develop a range of health disorders, will deter people from breeding and buying dogs designed to look this way.