The British Veterinary Association (BVA) have written to the GCA to ask that we bring to members attention their up and coming media campaign for the responsible portrayal of pets.
This campaign, first launched in 2018, is now being extended to include all animals with extreme conformation, including animals such as Persian cats, who are flat-faced, or dachshunds, whose long, low bodies predispose them to spinal problems.
As part of their animal welfare campaign they ask that Greeting Card Association members use appropriate healthy animals on cards, avoiding images of animals with extreme features:
“Animals ..… bred for looks over regard for their health have boomed in popularity over recent years fuelled by the media [and] celebrities.… for example, dogs and cats with short muzzles can struggle to breathe and can also suffer from a range of other problems …. For this reason, we are asking Greeting Card Association [members] to support our #BreedtoBreathe campaign and not use flat-faced dogs and cats or animals with other extreme features on cards.…in the future” said Justine Shotton, President of the British
The BVA is happy to offer advice on and there is more information on the BVA website.
