短頭種の犬や折れ耳の猫、新たな飼育禁止へ　オランダ

【ハーグＡＦＰ＝時事】オランダのピート・アデマ農相は２０日、短頭種の犬や折れ耳の猫など、見た目はかわいいが健康に「悲惨な」問題を抱える「デザイナーブリード」と呼ばれるペットの新たな飼育や広告・ソーシャルメディアでの写真掲載を禁止する方針を明らかにした。（写真はペットイベントに参加したパグ）
　アデマ氏は「『かわいい』と思う気持ちが、罪のない動物を悲惨な目に遭わせている」「だからこそ、オランダはペットが見た目のせいで苦しまずに済む未来に向けて、大きな一歩を踏み出していく」と述べた。
　デザイナーブリードは見た目のかわいさから、有名人やソーシャルメディアのインフルエンサーの間で人気を集めているが、疾患が多い。
　政府は、対象となる品種のリストの完成には時間がかかるとしているが、オランダ公共テレビＮＯＳは、対象となる犬種にはパグも含まれる可能性があると報じている。
　最近の研究では、パグやフレンチブルドッグ、イングリッシュブルドッグのような鼻先が短い犬種は、特に呼吸器の病気を起こしやすいことが分かっている。
　法律で新たな飼育が禁じられた場合でも移行期間が設けられ、既に飼っているペットは寿命を終えるまで飼育できる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/01/23-18:15）

The Netherlands wants to ban pets such as flat-faced dogs and cats with folded ears, which look sweet but suffer miserable health problems, the government said on Friday.
Dutch Agriculture Minister Piet Adema said he would seek to outlaw the ownership of the designer breeds and to ban photos of them in advertising or on social media.
We make life miserable for innocent animals, purely because we think they are 'beautiful' and 'cute', Adema said in a statement.
That is why today we are taking a big step towards a Netherlands where no pet has to suffer from his or her appearance.
Despite sought-after looks that have made them a favourite with celebrities and a fixture among social media influencers, such pets suffer from a range of health conditions.
The Dutch minister said that owners often have the best of intentions but are often unaware of the dark side of their pets' appearance.
This subject touches me as a minister but also as a human, added Adema.
The government would now work out a full list of affected breeds, he said, adding that it could take some time.
But the public broadcaster NOS said squish-faced pugs could be among those banned.
The Netherlands banned the breeding of pets that are affected by their appearance in 2014, but some animals were still being traded illegally or bought from abroad.
The proposed new rules are designed to close a loophole so that it will also be illegal to own them.
In 2019, the Dutch government updated the rules to specifically apply to dogs whose snout is less than half the length of their skull.
- 'Out of breath' -
Dogs with snouts that are too short are constantly out of breath, making them gasp throughout their life, Adema said in a letter to parliament setting out the proposal.
Dogs that have a deviant skull shape may suffer from a permanent headache.
Cats with folding ears have deviated cartilage which can cause them a lot of pain.
The fold-eared felines would definitely qualify for a ban, as was already the case in the Flanders region of neighbouring Belgium, the agriculture ministry said.
There is scientific evidence for these cats that they always suffer because they are a have a cartilage defect caused by a specific gene, it said in briefing notes accompanying the proposal.
The government had asked for advice from experts in veterinary genetics at the University of Utrecht in the central Netherlands, it added.
Any ban would come in after a transition period. People who currently own one of the pets would be allowed to keep them until the animal dies.
Recent studies have found that pugs and other dogs bred to have short noses, such as French and English bulldogs, are more prone to health problems, particularly with breathing.