‘You Can Get a Nose Job. They Can’t’: PETA India’s Plea for Pugs Goes Up Ahead of World Plastic Surgery Day
Ahead of World Plastic Surgery Day (15 July), PETA India launched a sky-high appeal in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai to remind everyone that while humans may have a choice when it comes to the shape of their nose, pugs and other flat-faced dogs don’t: they’re intentionally bred to have a snout so squashed it’s difficult for them to even breathe – and compassionate people should never buy them.
Outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Shivaji Nagar, Bengaluru.
Outside Metro INOX Cinema, Mahatma Gandhi Road, New Marine Lines, Mumbai.
Brindavan Street, Ramakrishnapuram, West Mambalam, Chennai.
Panchkuain Road, in the direction of Connaught Place, Delhi.
Rampally Main Road, Rampally, Nagaram, Hyderabad
Brindavan Street, Ramakrishnapuram, West Mambalam, Chennai
Pugs and other breathing-impaired breeds (BIB), including French and English bulldogs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, boxers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and shih tzus, suffer from an agonising and sometimes fatal condition called brachycephalic syndrome, which causes them to pant, snort, wheeze, and struggle just to breathe. It can make chasing a ball, running, playing, and even going for a walk – the things that make dogs’ lives joyful – difficult. The situation is so serious that a number of countries, including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, have banned or are currently working on amendments which either ban or restrict the breeding of some or all BIBs.
PETA India warns that most pet shops and breeders in the country are illegal, as they aren’t registered with the relevant state animal welfare boards. Breeders and pet stores typically deprive dogs of proper veterinary care and adequate food, exercise, affection, and opportunities for socialisation – in addition to fuelling the dog overpopulation crisis.
