Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of dogs with Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome.

Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies.

The Department does not hold data on the number of brachycephalic animals in the UK.

As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform. This will include proposals to improve the health and welfare standards which all licensed breeders must meet.

The strategy also includes a commitment to improve our understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, drawing on expertise from the sector, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.

The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders alongside consideration of sector evidence and reports, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices. We continue to engage with representatives across the sector.

Defra also supports the work of the UK Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG), which is comprised of academia, the veterinary profession, and animal charities. The BWG has set out simple measures to address issues with brachycephalic dogs, such as not using imagery of dogs with brachycephaly for advertising unless it is aimed specifically at protecting the health and welfare of dogs in relation to brachycephaly. BWG members have committed to these measures, and other groups are encouraged to sign up to them too.