But short-nosed dogs and curled-eared cats are still illegally traded. Many people keep these animals at home.
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Piet Adema, announced that the keeping of these animals in the home, their trade, and their showing in advertisements and films will be completely prohibited.
Stating that the situation of these animals upsets him not only as a minister but also as a human being, Adema said, “We are ruining the lives of innocent animals just because we think they are ‘beautiful’ and ‘cute’.
While features such as a short snout or curved ears may be seen as ‘cute’ by their owners, there is a lot of animal suffering behind this, according to Adema.
According to the Dutch minister, who emphasized that people are generally unaware of the dark sides of this exterior, short-nosed dogs have difficulty breathing and always experience headaches because they have abnormal skull structure.
Cats with curly ears have abnormal cartilage that causes pain.
A list of animals damaged by their appearance will be drawn up by the Ministry.
Anyone who has a dog or cat with these characteristics at home will be able to keep the animal until it dies. However, acquiring new animals will be prohibited.
The government will not allow these creatures to be used in films, advertisements, promotions and social media on the grounds that it causes an increase in the demand for animals.