National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day

The English Bulldog's face tells the story of a breed that was redesigned twice. The wrinkles that make bulldogs recognizable today were originally functional: during bull-baiting, a blood sport that dominated England for centuries, those folds channeled blood away from the dog's eyes so it could maintain its grip on a bull's nose. When bull-baiting was banned in 1835, the breed nearly went extinct. Enthusiasts rebuilt it as a companion animal, selectively breeding for docility, but the exaggerated features they emphasized have created one of the most health-compromised breeds in existence.

National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day sits at the intersection of genuine affection for a beloved breed and a growing veterinary consensus that the bulldog's current form causes it significant suffering. Both truths exist simultaneously, and the day provides space to hold them.

The bulldog is one of the oldest identifiable breeds in England, with its name first appearing in written records around 1631. The breed was purpose-built for bull-baiting, a blood sport in which dogs were set upon a tethered bull. The dog's job was to grip the bull's nose and pin its head to the ground. Every physical characteristic of the early bulldog served this function: the low, wide stance kept the dog beneath the bull's horns, the undershot jaw provided a locking grip, and the wrinkled face was believed to channel blood away from the dog's eyes during a fight.

Bull-baiting was enormously popular across English society for centuries, performed at public events and considered entertainment for all classes. That ended on August 14, 1835, when the British Parliament passed the Cruelty to Animals Act, outlawing bull-baiting, bear-baiting, and other blood sports.

The breed is rebuilt

The ban nearly destroyed the bulldog. Without its working purpose, the breed's numbers declined sharply. A small group of enthusiasts, however, saw potential in the bulldog as a companion animal and began selectively breeding for a gentler temperament. The first Bulldog Club was founded in 1864, and the "Philo-Kuan" standard, published in 1865, formally described the breed's new identity: compact, muscular, gentle in disposition.

A new Bulldog Club was established in 1875 and published a revised breed standard that remains influential. The breed crossed the Atlantic, and in 1886, the American Kennel Club formally recognized the bulldog. By the early 20th century, the bulldog had become a symbol of British tenacity and was widely adopted as a mascot by universities, military units, and sports teams. The association with Winston Churchill, though he never owned a bulldog, cemented the breed's identity as a national icon.

A modern health crisis

The same selective breeding that transformed the bulldog into a companion created serious health consequences. A landmark 2022 study by the Royal Veterinary College's VetCompass programme found that English Bulldogs have an average lifespan of just 7.39 years, compared to 11.23 years for dogs overall. Of 43 common disorders investigated, English Bulldogs were at significantly higher risk for 24 of them. They are 19.2 times more likely to suffer from Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) and 38.1 times more likely to experience skin fold dermatitis than other breeds. Studies have found hip dysplasia in 73.9% of tested bulldogs. The British Veterinary Association has called for "urgent action" to move the breed away from its current extreme body shape.

The observance

Jackie Valent, author of the 2005 children's book Stinky the Bulldog, created National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day in 2007. Valent chose April 21 to coincide with the 1886 date of the breed's formal recognition. Her stated purpose extended beyond celebrating bulldogs: the day was intended to encourage people to look beyond physical appearance and embrace differences in everyone.