P.E.I. Humane Society fundraising for lifesaving operations on 'victim of poor breeding'
3-year-old English bulldog was surrendered with multiple serious health issues
A three-year-old English bulldog named Shanty who was surrendered to the P.E.I. Humane Society recently came with a lot of problems — expensive ones.
The Charlottetown-based organization has been seeking donations for the multiple surgeries the dog will need.
"Essentially, Shanty is just a victim of poor breeding," said Ashley Travis, the society's development and communications co-ordinator. "Some of the issues that folks who are familiar with these breeds would run up against normally, Shanty has all of them."
It's a long list. Shanty has issues with her soft palate that interfere with her breathing, the shape of her head is squished, she doesn't have much of a muzzle, a fold over her nose is quite severe, she had trauma to her eye, and she's deaf.
But that doesn't stop her from being a friendly, happy dog, Travis said.
"Personality wise, there's no struggle at all. She is the most friendly dog in the world."
The Humane Society has raised about $15,000 after putting out a call for donations for Shanty's surgeries. Since the bulldog's operations will cost $5,000, Travis said the remainder will go to other surrendered animals with medical expenses.
Shanty is in the process of being fostered prior to adoption, and Travis hopes that will wrap up before she has to undergo any surgeries, so that she can recover from them in a home rather than at the shelter.
The first surgery will shorten her soft palate to help her breathe a bit easier, and then comes work on the fold over her nose.
"We want to make sure that even when she's under, she's still able to breathe, so the process is going to be very slow," Travis said.
She's not exactly the kind of dog whose genetics we would want to pass on.— Ashley Travis
Palate-shortening surgeries, dental problems and eye issues are common with bulldogs, said Travis — so much so that responsible breeders will take time to educate potential owners on their health and advise them to have the pet neutered early.
That may not have been the case with Shanty, who shows signs of having had at least one litter of puppies.
"That's indicative of poor breeding practice," said Travis. "She's not exactly the kind of dog whose genetics we would want to pass on."
Bad breeding practices are costly to both a pet and its owner, said Dr. Karen Overall, a professor of behaviour medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown.
Problems are especially common for French and English bulldogs, said Overall, who is not involved in Shanty's care.
"It's worse for these dogs because these are really extreme cases. So you know, their tongues are sticking out because there's not enough space for them. When you have a fat head like that, all births are caesarean because [puppies] can't pass through the birth canal," Overall said.
"When we look at these dogs, the question becomes: Are we doing them any favours?"
Once they have been born, though, Overall said people should do everything they can to give unfortunate dogs like this a great quality of life and improve their mental and physical health, especially with rescues.
"That should be our mission because we can do that. But we should also look forward to a day where we don't have to do that," she said.
What you want to know in a squashed-faced dog is, "So how long do these dogs in your line live? How many of them have had pneumonia or respiratory compromise?"— Dr. Karen Overall, Atlantic Veterinary College
When looking to get a purebred dog, she said people must look for ethical breeders and be prepared to ask questions.
"What you want to know in a squashed-faced dog is, 'So how long do these dogs in your line live? How many of them have had pneumonia or respiratory compromise? How many palates have you had to trim?'
"If the people say, 'Oh, we trim all the palates,' walk away. They've got a real problem."
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with files from Brittany Spencer and Maggie Brown