Below, please find a statement from PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman in response to New Hampshire lawmakers’ decision to table HB 1102-FN, a first-of-its-kind bill proposed by Rep. Ellen Read that would have banned the breeding and sale of brachycephalic dogs and cats—those with intentionally deformed skulls and unnaturally flattened faces:

Thanks to Rep. Ellen Read’s proposal of New Hampshire’s HB 1102 and the many veterinarians, dog guardians, and other animal advocates who supported it, the suffering of pugs, French bulldogs, and other breathing-impaired breeds is now on the national radar. PETA will continue to campaign for this “torture breeding” to be banned and for these animals, who spend every day of their lives gasping for air through their deliberately malformed airways.

PETA points out that breathing-impaired breeds (BIB)—including English bulldogs, boxers, and Boston terriers as well as Persian cats—are intentionally bred with distorted and restricted airways, solely for the sake of appearance, and, as a result, endure a lifetime of constant pain and discomfort as well as a multitude of chronic health conditions. A number of countries—including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway—have banned or restricted the breeding of some or all BIBs.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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