Churchill bulldog prompting 'cruel breeding practices', say Kennel Club

Churchill and other major brands have been told to stop using squashed-faced dogs in their marketing to halt the rise in cruel intensive breeding.

The insurer is one of more than 20 high-profile companies, also including Amazon and Bulldog Skincare,  being asked by The Kennel Club to stop featuring animals such as bulldogs and pugs in their advertisements.

The charity says presenting the dogs in such an appealing light has prompted a surge in sales which incentivises unscrupulous breeders to “churn out” the dogs with “little or no regard for their health and welfare”.

Dogs bred to mimic the “comical and cute” caricatures common in advertisements often suffer lifelong health problems such as breathing difficulties.

Advertising gurus are nevertheless increasingly realising the advantage of associating their products with the popular breeds.

Amazon is currently running a campaign to promote its Alexa personal assistant by portraying a hungry looking bulldog eyeing up a birthday cake.

Meanwhile the men’s skincare brand Bulldog has run a series of advertisements which show a “telepathic bulldog” talking a young man through a series of difficult situations, like whether or not to rob a bank or buying presents for his girlfriend, before telling him to moisturise.

The Kennel Club is now calling on all British companies to “prioritise dog welfare over profit”.

The organisation said registrations of French bulldogs had seen a 3,104 per cent increase over the last decade.

Registrations of pugs have gone up 193 per cent over the same period and bulldogs 96 per cent.

The real number of each breed is likely to be far higher, The Kennel Club said.

“There is a real concern that the use of French bulldogs, bulldogs and pugs in adverts is fueling the popularity of these breeds and is widening the market for those who simply wish to make money from those dogs with little or no regard for their health and wellbeing,” said Dr Dan O’Neill, a senior lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College, who is leading the campaign.

“These breeds can suffer from some horrible long-term health conditions.

“Reducing and ultimately eliminating these health problems is a goal shared by all those who care about the health and welfare of dogs, but we are currently fighting a losing battle while these dogs continue to be used needlessly in thoughtless advertising.”

Last night a spokesman for Churchill said the insurer would not be dispensing with the British Bulldog mascot it has used for the last 23 years, pointing out that no real dogs are used in current advertising.