Dr O’Neill continued: ‘What is most concerning is that so many of the health conditions that English Bulldogs suffer from, such as skin fold dermatitis and breathing problems, are directly linked to the extreme structure of their bodies that has been selectively bred for.

A study by the Royal Veterinary College found that distinctive features of English bulldogs such as their flat faces, protruding lower jaws and folds of skin contribute to them being twice as likely as other breeds to have health problems and substantially shorter lives.

Now the summer breeding season is here, animal welfare groups report a huge influx of lost, stray or abandoned ferrets, often pregnant jills (females) whose owners can’t cope with extra kits, or hobs (males) who have marshalled their notorious escapology skills to go in search of a mate.

WITH temperatures climbing as summer approaches, a new analysis has offered a shocking insight into the risks posed to dogs left in hot cars by their owners - revealing in some cases temperatures can soar to a deadly 60 degrees centigrade.

Bill Lambert, Health, of The Kennel Club, said: ‘This new tool, funded in part by The Kennel Club Charitable Trust VetCompass grant, helps us understand and determine more accurately a dog’s life expectancy given different factors throughout their lives, instead of just based on historic breed estimates.

But the traditional French bulldog isn’t the worst example - vets have warned that these dodgy dog breeders are creating animals with even worse health outcomes.The breeders create unique breeds of dog (Image: Getty).

Flat-faced dogs such as pugs often suffer from a host of health complications (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)French bulldogs and pugs could be banned in the UK after a pet charity vowed to fight a ‘vicious cycle of over-breeding’.

AFTER waiting 10 years for her missing pup, a dog owner has been reunited with her stolen childhood pet.Ms Bennett had not seen her dog for 10 years (Image: Triangle News)According to statistics gathered by the Kennel Club, the UK’s largest dog welfare organisation, a staggering 98 percent of dog theft criminals are never charged.

While a cat’s physical anatomy can adapt (cats are able to consume, digest and absorb plant-based food), a cat’s energy-creating metabolic processes cannot: felines need specific groups of nutrients that are commonly found only in meat.

With more than 2.5 million Ukrainians having been forced to leave the country, sources say ministers will waive the strict rule that requires owners to have a pet passport or health certificate to bring in their pets.

Harrowing pictures show Tiggy in an emaciated state with protruding ribs after an animal welfare officer from Northumberland County Council visited the couple’s home in Blyth in December 2019.Tiggy was found in a terrible state (Picture: NorthumberlandCountyCouncil/SWNS)Patterson and Milburn both admitted unnecessary suffering to a protected animal at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

Campaigners have argued that breeds that are part wildcat are unsuitable for most pet owners owing to their complex needs, and put pressure on rare felines in the wild because an increased demand for these cats means some breeders resort to the illegal wildlife trade to find wildcats to breed from.

We British, who like to think we’re a nation of animal lovers, have been given an opportunity to bask in the warm glow of this reassuring self-image now that more than 150,000 people have signed a petition calling for the West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma to be prosecuted after a video emerged of him kicking his cat.

Photograph: Panther Media GmbH/AlamyBlue Cross offers free treatments – although it asks for a voluntary donation – to pet owners who live with the catchment area of its hospitals and pet care clinics.

While veterinary science has made impressive advances in recent years, allowing many pets to be healthier for longer, vets say extending an animal’s life at all costs is not always the best option for them, and can result in bills of thousands of pounds for their owners.

Concerned about cat welfare and the charity’s reputation, Charles Darley, 59, said Cats Protection should not support the chair of trustees, Linda Upson, in keeping the pets on welfare grounds.Darley, who joined Cats Protection in October, said trustees were not properly briefed on animal welfare guidelines.

"Courtesy Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE)In the meantime, Evans hopes animal advocates, shelters and rescue organizations will share the video for “That’s My Dog” on social media to help promote animal adoption and change misconceptions about people who have pets.

Rescuers point out that people impulse-bought pets amid the pandemic, and eventually ended up abandoning them when they realised that they were not ready for the responsibility.

A new study has revealed the flat-faced breed is more likely to suffer from conditions linked with its defining features,.Narrowed nostrils was the disorder with highest risk in French Bulldogs, with the breed more than 42 times more likely to have the condition, helping explain the high frequency of breathing problems they experience.

The Ackers family paid a huge emotional price when they got Reggie, an adorable fox-red Labrador puppy (Picture: Supplied)However, just three days after they welcomed Reggie into their home, Richard found himself standing in a vet’s examination room being told that the kindest thing they could do for their puppy was to end his life.