According to The Telegraph, the Oslo District Court has ruled to ban the breeding of English Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in the country. The judges agreed with the arguments of the human rights organization Animal Protection Norway, which filed a lawsuit against breeders: only healthy dogs are subject to professional breeding, but in these breeds, most puppies are born with a predisposition to a number of diseases. For example, bulldogs have breathing problems, and spaniels have congenital heart defects, spinal problems, and eye and ear problems.
At the same time, the court emphasized that the ruling does not imply a complete ban: it does not apply to breeders seeking to solve animal health problems and save future generations of dogs from diseases. However, crossbreeding must be “responsible and scientifically sound”.