King Charles Urged to Strip Royal Name from ‘Born to Suffer’ Cavalier Spaniel Breed

King Charles Urged to Strip Royal Name from ‘Born to Suffer’ Cavalier Spaniel Breed

London – PETA’s Founder Ingrid Newkirk has sent a letter to King Charles III urging him to call for the royal name to be dropped from the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, dogs deliberately bred for a certain appearance despite being plagued by painful, debilitating inherited disorders.

In a letter, sent to Buckingham Palace and available (here), Newkirk warns that generations of breeding for traits such as large eyes, shortened muzzles, and small, rounded heads have left the dogs highly susceptible to serious health problems, including Chiari-like malformation, a skull abnormality that can cause excruciating pain, neurological problems, difficulty walking, and even paralysis.

“The royal name, like the Royal Warrant, lends prestige to this beleaguered breed and helps make it desirable,” writes Newkirk. “There is nothing noble about breeding dogs for exaggerated features that condemn generations of them to painful, debilitating disease.”

The request comes as PETA US has filed a lawsuit against a pet-store chain on behalf of a woman whose Cavalier King Charles spaniel suffers from a lifelong neurological condition associated with an abnormal skull shape common in the breed – a risk she says she was never warned about Meanwhile, Norway’s Supreme Court has ruled that breeding Cavalier King Charles spaniels violates the country’s Animal Welfare Act because inherited health problems cause so many of the dogs to suffer.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – notes that an estimated 95% of Cavalier King Charles spaniels have Chiari-like malformation. The dogs are also particularly vulnerable to mitral valve disease, breathing difficulties, hearing and vision impairments, and painful hip and knee disorders.

The group has previously applauded the King and Queen for welcoming rescue dogs into the Royal Family, setting a compassionate example for others to follow.For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.

Contact:

Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]

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