// Moonpig to stop selling cards with pictures of pugs and French bulldogs after criticism from vets and campaigners
// It will also not be designing or sourcing any card designs featuring these breeds in future
Moonpig will no longer sell cards with pictures of pugs and French bulldogs after criticism from vets and campaigners who said it “normalises their suffering from respiratory ailments”.
The move comes as Animal rights lobby group Peta raised concerns that the online retailer was “promoting” the “breathing-impaired” dog breeds.
Moonpig has now confirmed that it has removed or is in the process of scrapping any cards that feature pugs or French bulldogs from its website. It will also not be designing or sourcing any card designs featuring these breeds in future.
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Moonpig has previously sold Christmas cards including images of both breeds wearing festive hats.
A Royal Veterinary College (RVC) study published in May 2022 suggested that “urgent action is needed as many health issues of pugs are associated with their extreme body shape”.
From a study population of 905,544 dogs, its analysis included random samples of 4,308 pugs and 21,835 non-pugs. It concluded that the health of pugs in the UK is now substantially different and largely worse than other breeds.
The RVC said at the time that a “pug can no longer be considered a ‘typical dog’ from a health perspective”.
Peta director of corporate projects Yvonne Taylor said: “By banning images of pugs and French bulldogs, Moonpig is acting responsibly and helping put an end to the promotion of dog breeds with painful, life-threatening deformities.
“Peta is celebrating this compassionate first step and will keep working with Moonpig to extend this new policy to all breathing-impaired breeds, including Boston terriers, boxers, and shih tzus.”
