The RSPCA has released a major new report warning that millions of companion animals are being bred for exaggerated physical features that can leave them struggling with everyday activities most healthy animals take for granted.
From dogs bred with very flat faces or disproportionately short legs to cats with folded ears, rabbits with extremely short skulls and fish and reptiles selectively bred for unusual appearances, the charity says the pursuit of a particular ‘look’ can come at a serious cost to animal welfare.
Its new report, The Shape of Suffering, sets out a five-year strategy aimed at tackling extreme conformation and changing the way we breed, buy, promote and think about companion animals.
The RSPCA describes the problem as human-driven and therefore preventable. Its long-term ambition is to end the harmful selling and breeding of pets in England and Wales.
What is extreme conformation?
Conformation is simply an animal’s physical shape and structure. Extreme conformation is the term used when particular characteristics have been deliberately exaggerated through selective breeding to such an extent that they can affect an animal’s health and welfare.
The RSPCA gives examples including flattened faces, shortened limbs, taillessness, excessive skin and hairlessness.
Some of these features have become so familiar that it can be easy to forget they aren’t simply cosmetic.
A very short muzzle can affect an animal’s ability to breathe. Extremely short legs and altered body proportions can contribute to mobility and spinal problems. Skin folds can create painful skin conditions, while exaggerated eyes and skull shapes can lead to eye and neurological problems.
The report also stresses that this isn’t just a dog welfare issue. Although dogs and cats are the species most commonly affected, the RSPCA highlights examples across rabbits, fish, horses, reptiles, rodents and birds.
More than one in five UK dogs belongs to an affected breed
The scale of the issue is significant.
The RSPCA estimates that more than 20% of the UK dog population belongs to breeds with at least one extreme conformation.
And that may be an underestimate because the figure does not include crossbreeds and mixed-breed dogs that can also inherit exaggerated characteristics.
There has also been a striking change in the types of dogs arriving in RSPCA care.
Between 2016 and 2025, the charity recorded a 3,800% increase in French bulldog types entering its care, while the number of pug types increased by 192%.
Those figures don’t mean extreme conformation was necessarily the reason each of those dogs came into rescue, but they show how dramatically the representation of some affected breeds within the charity’s caseload has changed.
When appearance affects everyday life
One of the central messages of the report is that the consequences of extreme breeding can go far beyond an increased likelihood of visiting the vet.
An animal’s physical shape can affect its ability to carry out ordinary behaviours, from breathing and sleeping to eating, exercising, grooming, communicating and regulating its body temperature.
Flat-faced, or brachycephalic, dogs are perhaps the best-known example.
The shortened skull shape seen in breeds such as French bulldogs and pugs can be associated with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). The RSPCA says affected animals can experience increased effort simply to breathe, as well as disturbed sleep, difficulty eating and drinking, exhaustion and restrictions on normal behaviour.
Shortened limbs and altered body proportions can create different problems. The report discusses chondrodystrophy and the increased risk of intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), which can result in pain, paralysis and incontinence.
The report also draws attention to selectively bred colours and patterns. Certain genetic variants responsible for a desired appearance can be associated with health problems, including links between merle colouring and eye abnormalities, colour dilution and alopecia, and white colouring and deafness in some animals.
The problem goes far beyond dogs
While conversations around extreme breeding often focus on popular dog breeds, one of the most important aspects of the new report is its much wider view of the pet population.
Selective breeding for appearance can affect animals in very different ways depending on the species.
The report discusses rabbits bred with shortened skulls, cats selected for extreme facial or skeletal characteristics, ornamental fish with exaggerated bodies and features that can interfere with swimming or vision, and reptiles deliberately bred for particular genetic ‘morphs’.
It also highlights the Jacobin pigeon, whose exaggerated hood of feathers can interfere with vision, flight, mating and even feeding its chicks.
The underlying issue is the same: when a physical characteristic people find desirable interferes with an animal’s ability to live comfortably and behave naturally, appearance has been prioritised over welfare.
RSPCA wants demand to change as well as breeding
The RSPCA isn’t placing responsibility solely on breeders.
Its strategy identifies six groups that it believes need to be involved: owners, suppliers, service providers, advisers, the public, and policymakers and governance bodies.
The aim is to tackle both sides of the problem – reducing demand for animals with harmful exaggerated features while also reducing their supply.
That makes the choices made by prospective owners particularly important.
The charity wants people considering a new pet to look beyond appearance and think carefully about health, welfare and the animal’s ability to live a normal life.
For breeders and suppliers, the report calls for a move towards moderate physical features, the use of appropriate health testing and conformation assessments, and breeding practices that put welfare first.
The RSPCA also wants legal loopholes that allow animals with extreme conformation to be imported into the UK to be addressed.
Dog professionals are being asked to play their part
The report also places pet professionals firmly within the conversation.
Veterinary professionals have an obvious role, but the strategy extends to people who see and work with dogs every day, including trainers, behaviourists, groomers, dog walkers and pet sitters.
The RSPCA believes these professionals can help owners understand how an animal’s physical characteristics may affect its welfare and encourage health to be valued above appearance.
Importantly, this isn’t about blaming people who already own an affected animal.
Many people may have acquired their pet without fully understanding the health implications of particular features, and the focus should be on helping them recognise potential problems and give that animal the best possible quality of life.
For Yappily, that distinction matters. Welfare conversations are far more likely to make a difference when owners feel informed and supported rather than judged.
Social media has helped shape what we think is ‘cute’
The report also takes aim at the way animals with exaggerated features are presented in advertising, entertainment and on social media.
The RSPCA wants the advertising, film and media industries to stop using animals with harmful extreme characteristics simply for commercial appeal. It also wants the public to think more carefully about the animal content they like, follow and share online.
It’s an important part of the debate.
Social media can turn an unusual-looking pet into an overnight celebrity, and behaviours caused by physical difficulties can sometimes be presented as funny or endearing without viewers realising there may be a welfare problem behind them.
Every like, share and follow helps determine what becomes popular. The RSPCA’s argument is that changing breeding practices will be much harder if public demand for exaggerated appearances remains unchanged.
Could legislation on extreme breeding get tougher?
The report is a strategy document, not a change in the law, so its publication does not introduce new restrictions for breeders or pet owners.
But legislation is clearly part of the RSPCA’s plans.
The charity says it will identify improvements it believes are needed in existing animal welfare law and advocate for stronger legal protections with the UK and Welsh governments.
It also wants better resources, training and expertise for enforcement teams and intends to work with legal experts to explore how the law could be strengthened.
Strengthening animal welfare legislation and breeding regulations is specifically included among the actions the RSPCA wants to see over the course of its strategy.
Are attitudes already beginning to change?
The RSPCA believes there is reason for optimism.
According to its 2026 Animal Kindness Index, 79% of the UK public opposed breeding practices that result in exaggerated physical features, such as short noses, disproportionately long backs, short legs or excessive skin folds.
When people were asked specifically about dogs, 38% considered ending harmful dog breeding practices to be one of the three most important animal welfare issues.
That matters because consumer demand has enormous power to influence breeding.
If fewer people seek out animals because of exaggerated looks – and instead actively choose breeders and suppliers prioritising health – the incentive to keep producing those extremes begins to change.
A five-year plan to put health before appearance
The RSPCA acknowledges that extreme conformation is a complex problem that won’t disappear overnight.
Its five-year strategy calls for long-term cooperation between owners, breeders and suppliers, pet professionals, advisers, the wider public and those responsible for policy and enforcement.
It wants healthier animals to become what people value and expect, while physical characteristics that cause suffering become socially unacceptable.
That is ultimately what The Shape of Suffering is about.
People have shaped the appearance of companion animals through the choices we’ve made about breeding and buying them. The RSPCA’s message is that people therefore have the power – and responsibility – to shape what comes next.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Shape of Suffering?
The Shape of Suffering is a new RSPCA report and five-year strategy addressing extreme conformation in companion animals. It sets out how the charity believes owners, breeders and suppliers, pet professionals, advisers, the public and policymakers can work together to reduce the suffering associated with exaggerated physical characteristics.
What does extreme conformation mean?
Extreme conformation refers to exaggerated physical characteristics produced through selective breeding that can negatively affect an animal’s health, welfare or ability to perform normal behaviours. Examples include extremely flat faces, disproportionately short limbs, excessive skin, taillessness and hairlessness.
Is this just about flat-faced dogs?
No. The report covers dogs and cats as well as rabbits, fish, horses, reptiles, rodents and birds.
Is the RSPCA calling for breeds such as French bulldogs and pugs to be banned?
The report does not set out a blanket proposal to ban particular breeds. Its strategy focuses on moving away from harmful exaggerated characteristics, breeding towards healthier and more moderate physical features, reducing demand and improving legal protection.
Does every animal from an affected breed have health problems?
No. There can be considerable variation between individual animals, and belonging to a particular breed does not mean an individual will necessarily experience every health problem associated with that breed or characteristic.
The concern is breeding physical features to such extremes that they increase the risk of poor health or prevent animals from behaving and functioning normally.
What does the RSPCA want breeders to do?
The RSPCA wants breeders to prioritise moderate, healthy physical characteristics, use appropriate conformation assessments and health testing and avoid producing animals whose exaggerated features compromise their welfare.
What if I already own a flat-faced or other extremely conformed pet?
The report isn’t about blaming existing owners. Owners are encouraged to learn about the health risks associated with their individual pet’s characteristics, monitor their health and welfare and seek appropriate veterinary advice when needed.
Are new laws being introduced?
Not as a result of the report itself. The Shape of Suffering is an RSPCA strategy, not legislation. However, the charity says it intends to advocate for stronger animal welfare legislation and breeding regulations as part of its five-year programme.
Useful links
Read The Shape of Suffering – RSPCA
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