Imagine the world 50 years from now.

Describe what you think the laws governing animals will look like and what will have influenced society into reaching that point.

Laws are a set of rules created and enforced through social or governmental institutes in order to serve as a norm of conduct and act as a guidance of acceptable behaviour. As society progresses, our bond with animals strengthens, with a bill being passed in 2021 that allows vertebrate animals to be recognised as sentient beings.

With the strengthening of this bond with animals, comes an increased sense of worry regarding an animal’s welfare. In fifty years’, time, there will be more laws regarding welfare of our furry friends. Many dog breeds that we know, and love were bred with specific functions in mind. As they slowly lost their function, we kept them around to be our beloved pets. But the breeding behind these dogs is no longer ethical.

Brachycephalic breeds, flat faced dogs, such as bulldogs, face many health issues, therefore giving them a lower quality of life. Bulldogs were bred in the past for bull- baiting. In the 18th century, it was believed that bullbaiting tenderized the meat and therefore provided better flavor. The bulldog’s flat nose was desired because the short jaw was able to clamp down onto the bill. Soon after, bullbaiting became illegal, and these working dogs now became beloved companions. After bulldogs went out of job, breeders wanted to keep their squishy face around. The squished face of a bulldog and other brachycephalic breeds is owed to a mutated gene, the SMOC2 gene. Through selective breeding we achieved the flat faced bulldog that we today know as the English Bulldog.

 Despite their cute faces, Bulldogs and other flat-nosed breeds face many health problems. Most brachycephalic breeds have Stenotic Nares, small and narrow nostrils that restrict airflow. Their flat nose creates an elongated soft palate that blocks the trachea at the back of the mouth, further restricting airflow. They also have a deformed and narrowed windpipe, so less oxygen can be taken in with each breath, explaining why breeds like pugs are often known for being more lazy, due to a reduced amount of energy being released from respiration. Brachycephalic breeds can also be victim of heart problems. Because of the lack of oxygen intake, the heart must work harder to deliver the appropriate amount of oxygenated blood to the body, putting strain on the heart. Dogs with shortened upper jaws still have the same number of teeth as those with longer snouts (42 teeth). Because of the reduced area to fit these teeth, they overlap, creating an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease. The shapes of these dogs’ heads mean that they have deep skin folds around their eyes, these areas are poorly ventilated, causing an increase in yeast infections. Maybe the most pressing issue is the neurological problems these brachycephalic breeds can suffer from because of their compressed skull shape. Syringomyelia is the most common of these, often seen in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. This is a painful condition where cavities or cysts form in the spinal cord. These dogs have a low quality of life because of all the health issues they face. In Fifty years, there should be a law regulating the breeding of these dogs to ensure that less dogs are bought into a world where they live life in pain due to the nature of their breed. Norway has already begun to do this as they banned the breeding of the Bulldog and the King Charles Spaniel. We should begin to follow Norway in this decision, to reduce the amount of suffering animals that are bought into this world.

During lockdown, the demand for pets increased. But instead of going for the well-known and loved dogs, cats, rabbits etc., many people opted for an exotic species. Although people

Throughout history kept exotic pets, the increased use of social media has caused a higher demand for these new exotic species. Exotic pets are any wild species that are kept for human pleasure or companionship. Often, they are kept outside of their native habitat. In 2018, in UK alone, thousands of exotic animals were rescued by the RSPCA after being abandoned or neglected. Keeping exotic animals as pets is not ethical, therefore over the next 50 years there should be laws that come in place, to protect the welfare of these animals.

It is only ethical to keep an animal as a pet if both the animals biological and psychological needs are met. Many people who buy animals such as turtles, snakes, lizards or monkeys from pet shops or auctions don’t realise how ill-suited these animals are to living in our homes. Many exotic pets are snatched away from their natural environment. While some animals in the exotic-pet trade are bred in captivity, others are torn away from their natural habitat by poachers. They are confined in small boxes and sent halfway around the world to be sold. During these traumatic journeys, they don’t have access to adequate food, shelter, or enough space to move. And due to this, 4/5 animals will die during transit or within a year after transit. Taking these animals from the wild can endanger the species, and cause imbalance in their natural ecosystem. Removing the animals from their native habitat puts the other species and the environment at risk. Every species in an ecosystem has their own integral part to play, and a removal of one of these species can cause extreme imbalance of the others in that given environment.

 Like human beings, animals also suffer in captivity. They suffer both physically and psychologically when held in captivity. It is extremely hard to cater to these animals’ complex needs and specialized care. If these needs are not met, the animals can suffer from serious illness, or even death. During a PETA US investigation of a reptile mill, water dragons were displaying behaviors that indicated that living in such cramped conditions caused them extreme stress. It is highly selfish to allow these animals to feel such high levels of distress just to keep them as our companions.

Many exotic animals escape their enclosure or are cruelly dumped. When people realise that exotic pets are difficult to care for, they are abandoned. Many incidents in the UK have occurred where snakes have got loose. An escaped boa constrictor devoured a pigeon in London. While this time the victim was a pigeon, it could have been someone’s beloved dog or cat. The RSPCA reported over 4000 exotic animals in England and Wales that had been dumped when the owner realized the work involved in taking care of them. When these exotic pets escape, they start to become invasive in an area which isn’t native to them. They begin to reproduce and take over an ecosystem which isn’t theirs. This diminishes native populations. They often prey on native animals, competing for food and resources. They can also introduce parasites and diseases which are not normally found within this area. They can carry zoonotic diseases that are fatal to humans. Diseases include rabies, distemper, herpes virus, etc. An increase in wild pets, would cause increased danger for the human population around them.

Keeping exotic animals as pets is often highly desirable but its unethical for reasons concerning the animal’s welfare, and our own health and safety. In the next 50 years, there should be stricter laws put in place regulating the ownership of these animals.

Overall, there are many laws regarding animals that should be put into place. But due to the increase of social media and therefore the desirability for cute pets, first rules should be put in place for the safety and welfare of these animals. The cute faces of pugs are suffering deeply from difficult breathing issues, skin irritation and gum disease. A stop must be put to this. These breeds no longer have a good quality of life, and it is unfair for us to continue to breed them for our own pleasure. Exotic species must be reduced as pets because the inability to take care of them gives them a poor quality of life, with some not even able to reach adulthood. In essence of this, it is adamant that laws are put into place for these reasons mentioned. For the welfare of the animals, we must sacrifice our selfish nature.