Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/netherlands-flat-faced-dogs-folded-ears-cats-ban/

French bulldogs and Scottish Fold cats have recently been in the spotlight thanks to their spike in popularity.

French bulldogs are the latest breed fad, with celebrities like Lady Gaga gaining national attention over her dogs. Likewise, Scottish Fold cats are all the rage in the world of feline ownership.

While Frenchies and Scottish Folds are adorable, their physical features, namely their squished, flat faces and folded ears respectively, put them at risk for health issues.

The health issues posed by these breeds’ adorable features have come under fire, as activists and officials speak out against breeders. It seems The Netherlands is taking things one step further by banning the breeds entirely.

The Minister Piet Adema of Culture, Nature, and Food Quality announced that the government intends to place a ban on dog and cat breeds that have physical traits that cause pain and suffering – like flat-faced dogs and cats with folded ears.

While the ban isn’t officially in the works yet, the announcement notes that people should expect it in the future. The government is currently considering two bans, a “keeping ban” and a “display ban.”

In the announcement, Minister Piet Adema said: “This subject affects me not only as a minister, but also as a person. We make life miserable for innocent animals, purely because we think they are ‘beautiful’ and ‘cute’. That is why today we are taking a big step towards a Netherlands where no pet has to suffer from his or her appearance. The keeping and display bans with which I want to achieve this will require a lot of time to be carefully worked out. They are a complex pursuit, but also a right pursuit.”

The keeping ban would prohibit individuals from keeping pets with harmful characteristic. This proposed ban would, in practice, impose a trade and import ban since either trading or importing an animal with harmful features would involve keeping it for a period of time.

The showing ban would prohibit animals with harmful external characteristics from being displayed publically, such as in commercials or social media advertisements. The ban could also extend to impact celebrities or influencers.

The ban could reduce suffering from animals that are essentially set up for failure in terms of health. It’ll be interesting to see if other countries follow suit!

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog