It was Harry S Truman who said “If you want a friend in (insert name of city where politicians gather), get a dog”.

Not to malign my many friends in Canberra, Truman had a point.

My life would be infinitely poorer had I not shared so much of it with dogs.

And there is one breed of dog in particular that has a very special place in my heart — the British bulldog.

I love bulldogs. I have a bulldog, Walter. I had two bulldogs until last year when my beloved Tilly died at the ripe old age of 11.

As honorary patron of the British Bulldog Club of Victoria, I feel it is my solemn duty to speak on behalf of not just the Walters and the Tillies of this country, but on behalf of all bulldogs.

These canine companions are magnificent. They are loyal, don’t mind a pat (therapeutic for the patter and the pattee), and are content to lie under your study desk ‘til the wee small hours blissfully unstressed by matters of policy and politics.

So having declared upfront my bias for these lovable lumps, you will understand my outrage that it has been suggested the Western Bulldogs AFL team should drop the bulldog as its mascot.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claim the Western Bulldogs club is “supporting the intentional breeding of dogs with painful and debilitating deformities and encouraging people to buy dogs with extreme features that cause them to suffer”.

Excuse me for being blunt but what a load of rubbish.

PETA thinks that the Western Bulldogs should rebrand as “the Mutts” to encourage people to “adopt, don’t shop”.

Don’t get me wrong, pet rescue organisations are absolutely worthy of praise for the role they play.

But to be honest, PETA’s extreme stance is an insult to ethical breeders of bulldogs and responsible owners alike.

Bulldogs are one of the breeds known as brachycephalic. They’re dogs that generally have wider, shortened heads and a shortened snout. People sometimes refer to them as having squished faces — just one of their many endearing attributes.

You know the ones I’m talking about — the chonks that are British bulldogs, Australian bulldogs and their little Frenchie mates, boxers, pugs, chihuahuas, shih tzus and a long list of others.

Just as poodles have curly hair, and great Danes have long legs, bulldogs have turned up noses. It’s just how they are.

But, we cannot be naive. There are unethical breeders who will breed features into these dogs because there is a demand for a certain look such as a squishier face. Designer dogs as they’re known.

But to get that squishier face you also get increased folds of skin around and inside the nose and throat, and that can lead to a condition called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome or BOAS.

BOAS can affect a dog’s ability to breathe, and affected pups can struggle to cope with the heat or even the most usual of activities like exercise, play, eating, drinking and sleeping.

But PETA is wrong to pretend there has not been extensive research carried out to ensure the wellbeing of bulldogs in Australia.

Dogs Australia is dedicated to improving the health of dogs and administers the respiratory function grading scheme.

This groundbreaking scheme by the Kennel Club and the Cambridge Veterinary School provides an international, collaborative, and evidence-based approach — with a clinical assessment and exercise tolerance test — to help improve the health of BOAS-affected breeds globally.

The data dogs is then shared on the Officially Registered Canine Health Information Database (ORCHID). Breeders can then access this information and make an evidence-based selection of the most suitable stock for breeding purposes.

The RGF scheme has four grades — 0 means no evidence of BOAS; 1 means mild BOAS; 2 is moderate BOAS; and 3 means clinically affected or severe BOAS.

And do you know what has happened since the scheme was introduced and breeders had access to the data in the UK? Vets are recording fewer and fewer scores of 2 and 3 in the brachy dogs they see.

So, just as you can introduce problems into a breed, you can also breed them out. You just need to give people the right information.

I met several owners and breeders at the Melbourne Royal Show a few weeks ago, who proudly showed their British bulldogs are just as cuddly and affectionate as they are well bred — and always on the lookout for snacks. And I say that with absolutely no judgment.

Bottom line is, they love their bulldogs.

And Western Bulldogs fans love their mascot.

To suggest that big, boofy head should be replaced on the team’s logo is sacrilege.

Originally published in The West Australian Monday 14 October 2024.