Which? Magazine pledges to stop using photos of flat-faced breeds   

When BVA discovered that the August cover of consumer magazine Which? featured a French bulldog, we contacted the publication to raise the veterinary profession’s concerns around the normalisation of flat-faced breeds in media. 

The response we received was extremely positive. In a reply, the magazine’s editor confirmed that Which? will now avoid using images of flat-faced breeds in future issues and that our best-practice guidance on the use of pets in advertising would be circulated to Which?’s design and picture desk teams.

Responding to Which?’s swift commitment to take action, President Malcolm Morley said:

“We are pleased to receive such a positive and constructive response from the editor on this issue, which we know is a serious concern for our members. There has been a huge growth in the popularity of flat-faced dogs in recent years, fuelled by social media and celebrities, and their use by big brands or advertisers only serves to further normalise the health and welfare issues these breeds are prone to. Which? joins brands such as Comic Relief, Heinz, HSBC Costa Coffee that have pledged to avoid imagery of brachycephalic breeds and to consider the health problems endemic to these in-fashion poster pets in the future.

“We’d ask all veterinary professionals and members of the public to continue to use our #BreedToBreathe and #PetsInAds template letters to contact organisations, retailers and advertisers to ask them to stop using flat-faced breeds and to follow our guidance on the responsible use of all pet animals in any imagery.”