48 Bulldogs, One Apartment, and a Disturbing Secret
This is exactly why we are against puppy mills.
Forty-eight dogs – mostly French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs – found in what authorities are describing as a clandestine breeding operation in San Juan de Miraflores, Peru.
And when you read what was found, it is hard not to feel angry.
Authorities discovered the animals in appalling conditions on September 28 in an apartment on Jirón Santiago Rodríguez. The group included 25 French Bulldogs, nine English Bulldogs, eight mixed-breed dogs, five French Bulldog puppies, and one Dachshund. There was also a rooster. Local French Bulldog club, Club Frenchie, heard about the rescue through social media and immediately reached out to offer assistance. One member of the club spoke to a reporter from the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio about what they had witnessed:
“The state of health was absolutely deplorable. There were dogs covered in feces, filthy, with no hygiene whatsoever, dogs with broken nails, bitten ears, and other serious problems,” he said.
The dogs were brought to the Municipal Veterinary Clinic in San Juan de Miraflores, where they were examined and received treatment for a range of conditions. Most were suffering from heat stress, and many had excessively long nails, some bleeding, skin problems, fungal issues, eye infections, surgical scars, and other conditions requiring medical attention. Six puppies reportedly needed incubator care, with two described as being in a particularly fragile condition.
Following the intervention, the animals were taken to the municipal veterinary service, and some have since been moved into foster care. The San Juan de Miraflores Provincial Corporate Criminal Prosecutor's Office is investigating the case, and Félix Sonco and Darlys Vanegas were arrested at the scene.
Unspeakable Cruelty
As if the horrendous conditions that greeted rescuers weren’t disturbing enough, it appears that this wasn’t simply a breeding operation, but an illegal, makeshift veterinary clinic.
Some of these dogs had undergone surgery on their vocal cords; a barbaric procedure known as debarking. Being kept in cramped and filthy conditions meant that these dogs were barking and crying constantly. Debarking was a way to reduce noise and avoid complaints.
They didn’t improve conditions. They didn’t provide relief. They simply removed their ability to voice their distress.
Evidence also suggests that several female Bulldogs were bred repeatedly, with some reportedly forced to carry as many as ten litters of puppies. Veterinary examination also found evidence that crude cesarean surgeries had been performed prematurely to get puppies out faster and back on the market, while the mothers, if they survived, were bred again.
Investigators reportedly found premature newborn puppies inside an unsterilized incubator, while puppies were being sold for around 1,500 to 2,500 Peruvian soles each – roughly $400 to $670 USD.
French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs are brachycephalic breeds. Their shortened skull and squishy faces are a big part of their appeal. But there is a very uncomfortable truth behind that cute face.
That same anatomy that many people find irresistible can make it harder for a dog to breathe, exercise, sleep, regulate their body temperature, and, in some cases, give birth.
We have to stop pretending these things are simply “part of being a Bulldog.”
They aren't.
The BOAS Factor
A dog struggling to breathe is not just a snorer. A dog that overheats easily is not just “sensitive to the heat.” These are medical problems.
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) refers to the conditions that affect breeds with a shortened skull, or “brachycephaly.” These conditions include hypoplastic trachea (narrow windpipe), stenotic nares (narrow nostrils), and a tongue and soft palate that are too large and long for the mouth, resulting in obstruction of the airways and difficulty swallowing.
These issues have led many veterinary professionals and animal welfare advocates to question the ethics of breeding these dogs. When a physical characteristic can affect basic functions like breathing and temperature regulation, choosing which dogs reproduce needs to consider more than appearance.
That little flat face. Those big eyes. The stout little body. The funny little snorts.
Most people see cute, even adorable. But as veterinarians, we see a whole list of problems that need to be monitored.
A Bulldog can be an absolutely wonderful companion and still have anatomy that puts them at risk for serious health problems. Breeding of these dogs should require more responsibility, not less, with breeders selecting for less extreme conformations.
“A dog in need is my favorite breed”
There is something very sad about how much importance we place on how dogs look. A certain face. A certain size. A certain coat. A certain breed.
The more desirable that look becomes, the more money there is in producing it. That creates a market, and unfortunately, where there is money, there will always be those willing to cut corners.
This does not mean that every breeder is bad. There are responsible breeders who health-test their dogs, carefully select breeding pairs, provide appropriate veterinary care, and take responsibility for the puppies they bring into the world. Those who are actively trying to breed healthier versions of dogs whose health and function have been crippled through selective breeding for exaggerated features.
Puppy mills are something very different.
The problem is when the animals producing those puppies become a means to an end.
A female dog becomes a breeding machine.
A litter becomes a paycheck.
And veterinary care becomes an expense to minimize or avoid, not an essential part of responsible animal care.
When it comes to looking for your next four-legged family member, start your search at an animal shelter. Research your favorite breed and know how to recognize a suspicious situation.
If you are planning to purchase or adopt a puppy, you should be able to inspect the home or facility where the puppy was raised, and meet the puppy’s mother. Breeders who are unwilling or unable to allow this raise suspicions of unethical practice, and if you are concerned about a potential welfare issue, don’t be tempted to buy a puppy to ‘rescue’ it – this simply finances the operation. Instead, contact your local animal control agency, humane society, sheriff, or police department.
We Cannot Love The Look And Ignore The Dog
When extreme conformation interferes with breathing and thermoregulation, when it increases the risk of difficult births and chronic airway problems, we need to consider whether breeding these dogs is the right thing to do. But if people will buy them, people will breed them.
It’s up to us to look past the adorable face we saw on Instagram and ask:
Are they breathing comfortably?
Can they exercise normally?
Can they handle warm weather?
Do they sleep comfortably?
Do they have functional airways?
And, as the horrific plight of these 48 dogs reminds us, where did they come from?
Loving Bulldogs is not the problem.
The problem is loving an appearance so much that we stop asking what that appearance means for the animal.
What Is Next for the Dogs From San Juan de Miraflores?
These dogs have been through a terrible situation, but now they have a chance.
They need veterinary care. Their nails need treatment, their skin and eyes need evaluation, their nutritional needs need to be addressed, and their other medical problems need to be properly investigated. Some require specialized treatment, while others are recovering in foster homes.
And hopefully, many of these dogs will eventually experience something that should have been completely ordinary from the beginning:
A clean bed.
A comfortable temperature.
A safe place to sleep.
A person who actually listens.
These dogs were not born to produce puppies. They were not born to be quiet. They were not born to look a certain way for someone else's profit.
They were born to be dogs.
For that reason, adoption should always be considered before buying a puppy.
There are so many wonderful dogs already waiting in shelters, foster homes, and recovering from neglect. Dogs that may not have the perfect face or pedigree but have an enormous capacity to love.
They don't need to be produced.
They need to be seen.
Please, before asking where to buy the puppy with the cutest face, ask who is already waiting for someone to choose them.
Image Credits: https://elcomercio.pe
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Dr. Paola Cuevas is our Senior In-House Veterinarian at Dogster and Pangolia. She has over 19 years of experience working with an array of species and loves sharing her knowledge and experience with our readers and aims to provide assistance with any issue presented by your non-human family members. She received her degree from the University of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Her passions are animal welfare and preventive medicine, and has skills in the fields of nutrition, microscopy, clinical pathology, diagnostic imaging, and endoscopy. Paola frequently contributes pet care insight to various media outlets like PetMD, The Daily Record, Parents.com, etc.
Paola is also an animal behaviorist with extensive experience in positive reinforcement animal training.
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