A woman in China visited a pet shop with her dog, a French bulldog. One of the shop’s features is an exercise pool.
She let her dog play in the pool, tragically failing to recognize that it couldn’t swim.
How could this have happened?
French bulldogs are a small breed. They’re easily recognizable by their scrunched-in faces.
Their short snouts sometimes contribute to breathing problems, which most certainly wouldn’t have helped in this tragic situation.
The exercise pool was too deep for the bulldog. Upon taking a look at the video, it’s clear that the pool is around 4 feet deep.
On average, French bulldogs are only 13 inches tall* at the shoulder. As the dog is dropped into the water, it immediately begins to struggle.
It’s important to understand that while all dogs can paddle, some breeds can’t swim.
The owner and pet shop employee mistook the dog’s thrashing movements for swimming; unfortunately, it was only treading water.
The owner realized what was happening too late. She called for help, but the employee was in shock and moved too slowly.
After thirty seconds of struggling, the bulldog sank to the bottom of the pool.
The dog was immediately taken to a veterinarian, but did not survive.
The shop issued an apology to the owner, and the two parties are collaborating in order to provide adequate compensation.
A funeral was held for the bulldog shortly after.
Hopefully, the shop will adjust their policy for future dogs.
