Churchill the dog could soon be canceled after an animal rights group claimed it has “rised in popularity” for flat-faced dogs prone to health problems.
PETA has called for the nodding English bulldog to be ‘retired’ after 20 years as the mascot of the Churchill Insurance company.
Flat-faced dogs, known as brachycephalic breeds, have been known to deal with health problems such as overheating, respiratory problems, bulging eyes, ulcer-prone skin folds, and an inability to sleep.
Social media influencers have been blamed for the rise in popularity of these dogs, as official figures show ownership has increased by 488 percent since 2000.
A 2022 study found that the life expectancy of flat-faced dogs can be up to three times shorter than that of other breeds.
Churchill the dog could soon be canceled after an animal rights group claimed it has “rised in popularity” for flat-faced dogs prone to health problems.
PETA has called for the nodding dog to be ‘retired’ after 20 years as the mascot of the Churchill Insurance company
Vets are urging people not to buy pugs as new research shows flat-faced dogs are up to 50 times more likely to suffer from skin fold dermatitis, a painful skin condition.
The researchers, from National Taiwan University, found that French bulldogs are only expected to live four and a half years, while English bulldogs average 7.4 years and pugs just 7.7 years.
In a letter to the CEO of Direct Line Group, the company that owns Churchill, PETA wrote that, as a provider of pet insurance, the company would be aware of evidence finding that flat-faced dogs “suffer from health conditions painful and even fatal. ‘, according to The Telegraph.
“These dogs experience exercise intolerance, lack of oxygen, inflamed airways, vomiting, and collapse, among other symptoms,” PETA added.
Brachycephalic dogs can have such difficulty breathing that they often need surgery.
Card company Moonpig agreed this week to remove flat-faced dogs from its products after PETA’s warning.
About the decision, PETA wrote: “By banning images of pugs and French bulldogs, Moonpig is acting responsibly and helping to end the promotion of dog breeds with painful and life-threatening deformities.”
Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), told The Telegraph: “The RVC strongly supports broader efforts to encourage brands and advertisers to avoid use of promotional images of extreme flat faced dogs only fueling even more public demand for types of dogs with health problems.
Dr Justine Shotton, Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association, urged all retailers, businesses and organizations to “embrace responsible depictions of animals in their merchandising and help reduce the visibility and normalization of such health issues.”
Last year, vets studied the records of 900,000 dogs and found that brachycephalic breeds are up to 50 times more likely to suffer from painful skin conditions.
At the time, Dr. O’Neill, the study’s lead author, said it was further evidence of “the substantial damage extreme body shapes can have on the health of our dogs and will hopefully encourage potential owners to ‘stop and think’ about avoiding extreme body shapes before choosing which breed to buy.’
Pugs have been bred to have flattened noses and large eyes, while boxers have shorter faces with a larger mouth, and bull terriers have mutated to have crooked skulls and thicker abdomens.
Some flat-faced dogs even go blind because they cannot close their eyes properly.
In 2021, vets said overbreeding is causing changes in skull shapes, making the eyes bulge out and leaving the surface too exposed.
Researchers from the universities of Lisbon and Leipzig said this is causing ulcers and erosion of the eyeball, leading to vision loss.
A Churchill Pet Insurance spokesperson said: “The computer-generated ‘Churchie’, created for our current ad campaign, is an imaginary CGI character.”