Lady Gaga is a trendsetter in the truest sense of the word. This is well known in fashion and music, but the American singer has also left her mark on the dog market. With countless posts on social media about her three French bulldogs, Asia, Koji and Gustav, she has helped the breed gain tremendous popularity. And now it’s official.
The American umbrella organization for dog breeders, the American Kennel Club, has officially declared the French bulldog the most popular breed in the USA. Every seventh newly registered dog is a Frenchie, as fans affectionately call the breed. That’s a 1,000 percent increase in popularity over the past decade. In 2013, the Mini Mastiff was far behind in 14th place Frenchie dethroned the Labrador Retriever, who was the undisputed leader of the American dog charts for a full 31 years.
But the little dogs with the bat ears are increasingly getting to know the downside of their popularity. Since puppies can be worth thousands of dollars, they are a popular target for dog thieves, who then resell the stolen puppies at high prices. And those are the harmless cases. A month ago in South Carolina, a 76-year-old breeder of the Frenchies shot dead when he wanted to hand over the dogs to the supposed buyer.
Lady Gaga offered a $500,000 finder’s fee for her Frenchies
Two years ago, two of Lady Gaga’s three dogs also fell victim to mutt kleptomaniacs. While Mum was in Italy for filming, the walker she had ordered was attacked at home in Hollywood and even shot. He survived badly injured. The stolen dogs were returned to police two days later after Lady Gaga offered Koji and Gustav a finder’s fee of $500,000 via Instagram. It is not known whether the money actually flowed. The perpetrator was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
But what makes dogs so popular anyway? Patty Sosa, the spokeswoman for the French Bulldogs Club in America, does not just attribute the triumph of her favorite breed to Lady Gaga’s advertising. They are humorous and lovable and, because of their manageable size and the level of care they require, are ideal for modern city dwellers with little space and time. “They offer a lot in a small package,” Sosa told the AP news agency.
According to animal rights activists, however, they do not do so voluntarily. Because of the flat face they are bred to have, French bulldogs often suffer from respiratory problems and eye diseases. The curved spine plagues the dogs with back pain and causes problems on the dog toilet in old age. In Great Britain, the Association of Veterinarians is therefore calling for Frenchies not to buy. In the Netherlands, the breeding of short-nosed dog breeds as torture is already prohibited by law. The Minister of Agriculture is even planning to criminalize ownership. So the dog breed will not shake up the rankings there.