On August 23, 2022, the 'don't buy a short-beaked' campaign started. During this campaign, Dier&Recht, De Sophia Vereeniging, Dierenlot Foundation, Caring Vets and the Companion Animals cluster of the professional association for veterinarians want to draw attention to the health problems associated with short muzzles.

A short muzzle on a dog or cat can look very cute, but it brings all kinds of health problems. For this reason, breeding an animal with a short muzzle is prohibited. On the other hand, owning or selling a short-snout is not prohibited. Only animal welfare organizations hope that people themselves will not opt ​​for a short snout given the health problems that it entails.

The biggest health problem associated with short muzzles is BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Syndrome). This is an abnormality in which the airways are partially blocked. Because of this, they can have breathing, sleeping and eating problems. They are also very bad at withstanding too much effort and severe heat. If a short snout has BOAS, the animal makes snoring sounds. Unfortunately, there are still people who find this sound cute and fun. Although it actually means that your animal is not getting enough air and has a serious health problem.

In addition to the BOAS, short-snouted animals can have other disorders. The following conditions are also regularly found in short muzzles

• Eye problems, chronic eye infections, watery eyes or bulging eyes.
• Skin problems, exaggerated skin folds that cause inflammation of the skin.
• Dental problems, Due to the deviating skull, the upper and lower jaws do not fit together properly.
• Nerve symptoms and pain because the brain is too large in relation to the contents of the skull.
• Birth problems, The birth canal is too narrow for the shoulders and broad head of the animal.

All these medical conditions often require treatments to improve the animal's life. Of course, this also leads to higher costs.