A French bulldog named Winston, owned by Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Morgan Fox, won best show at the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving, but not without criticism from People for Ethical Treatment. of the animals.
French bulldogs are prone to respiratory problems due to their flat faces and some live with brachycephalic syndrome.
PETA called the contest «embarrassing» and said the French bulldogs’ «deformities» are «nothing to celebrate.»
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«Setting aside the fact that this is a trade show designed to help promote the breeding and sale of dogs when the country is experiencing a dog overpopulation crisis resulting in euthanasia and severely overcrowded animal shelters, the ‘Best in Show’ this year is embarrassing in another way,» Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA’s senior vice president of cruelty investigations, said in a statement to Fox News.
«In other countries, even across Europe, breeding BIBs, breeds with respiratory problems, is known as ‘torture breeding,’ because French bulldogs and other BIBs can suffer from an uncomfortable, debilitating and sometimes fatal condition called brachycephalic syndrome which makes them struggle to breathe, run, play or experience the joys that make a dog’s life worth living and make hot weather hell for them PETA urges people not to breed or buy any dog, let alone those who are physically punished by breeders who have stolen a real nose and make them fight for something as basic and vital as breathing.»
On his website, PETA wrote the following:
«Dog shows exploit dogs that are often ‘owned’ by groups of people simply seeking profit and prestige. For example, NFL player Morgan Fox, who is part owner of the group that manages Winston, noted who gained exposure from this win, which was broadcast to some 20 million viewers.»
PETA also attacked Thanksgiving turkey eaters with a cartoon depicting a family of turkeys eating a small roasted human on Thanksgiving.
PETA ROASTED BY ‘DISTURBED’ THANKSGIVING TWEETS: ‘NO ONE TAKES THESE PEOPLE SERIOUSLY’
The tweet sparked a backlash, with one Twitter user calling the organization «disrupted» and another saying «no one takes these people seriously.»
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Fox received the dog from his grandmother when the dog was a puppy.
Fox and the Chargers play the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday.