Ojai, CA Becomes First U.S. City to Ban Breeding of French Bulldogs and Other Breathing-Impaired Dogs and Cats

After working closely with PETA, Mayor Betsy Stix and the Ojai City Council voted to adopt a groundbreaking new law—the Companion Animal Protection Ordinance—making Ojai the first city in the U.S. to ban what many European countries describe as “torture breeding”: the purposeful breeding of animals to have deformed bodies and extreme features that cause them a lifetime of suffering. The ban will protect breathing-impaired breeds (BIB)—such as French bulldogs, English bulldogs, pugs, boxers, and Boston terriers, as well as Persian cats—who suffer from a multitude of health issues, including chronic respiratory disease due to their smushed faces and restricted airways.