New York — Animal rights group PETA lawsuit On health French bulldog Some other popular dog breeds were dismissed, with the judge saying New York law had been misapplied to the case.
The lawsuit, filed last year, represented a new front in PETA’s long-running campaign against dog breeders. The case accused the American Kennel Club of issuing unhealthy “standards” or ideals for Frenchies – the Nation’s Association. The most common dog breedsAccording to the club’s count – in addition to bulldogs, Chinese Shar-Peis, Dachshunds And clay. The AKC, the nation’s oldest purebred dog registry, rejected the allegations and said it prioritizes the health of dogs.
Club President Gina DiNardo praised the decision on Tuesday.
“We remain focused on what matters most: preserving purebred dogs, advocating for all dogs and the people who care for them, and supporting the right of individuals and families to choose the right dog for their family,” she said in a statement.
PETA, also called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said its lawyers are evaluating any legal options.
“Dog dealers seeking money are flooding the market with malformed dogs bred under AKC guidance,” Ingrid Newkirk, the company’s founder, said in a statement. She urged people to adopt dogs from shelters rather than buy purebred puppies: “No dog should be made specifically to look like it causes pain.”
The lawsuit was based on a New York law that is generally used to challenge the decisions of state and local governments, although it is sometimes applied to private organizations. But those were organizations that had some power over the people they were suing, such as union members who file complaints about their leadership or co-op apartment residents who sue a building’s board, state Judge David P. Cohen said in a decision filed Monday.
Since PETA is not under the jurisdiction of the kennel club, he wrote that the case “should be dismissed,” without offering an opinion on the canine health issues at the heart of the case.
The study focused on canine diseases that could be associated with flat faces — such as those found in bulldogs, pugs, and French bulldogs — or the short legs and long backs that dachshunds have. At the same time, drinkers may suffer from bouts of fever and inflammation known as “Sharpey’s autoinflammatory disease.”
The problems are not universal but they can be serious.
PETA had wanted a judge to order the AKC to stop using “standards” for those breeds. Show dog standards are reviewed by judges and many breeders.
The standards — which are developed by fanciers and reviewed and circulated by the kennel club — reflect “decades of collaboration with veterinary experts and breeders,” the AKC said. The Kennel Club says it has donated more than $40 million since 1995 to the Canine Health Research Society.