Breeder fined for short-snouted bulldogs as Netherlands tackles overbreeding

FILE PHOTO: French bulldog Abby gets extra oxygen because of her breathing problems while the Dutch government proposes a law banning the possession of cats and dogs with characteristics such as too-short snouts which animal rights activists say are cruel in Utrecht, Netherlands June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch dog breeder has been fined 3,000 euros ($3,200) for breeding bulldogs with too short a snout, which leads to breathing difficulties, as the Netherlands cracks down on overbreeding of pets.

The Dutch regulator NVWA, which is part of the agriculture ministry, said on Thursday that an inspection had shown that the French bulldogs used for breeding had abnormally short snouts and irregular respiration, even at rest.