Landlord’s fury as PETA demands he changes the name of his pub The Old Bulldog…because of health issues related with the dog breed

• PETA wants Mark Newton’s pub The Old Bulldog to be renamed as The Old Mutt

A landlord has blasted ‘left wing wokery’ after facing mounting pressure from Peta to change the name of his Stoke-on-Trent pub. 

Mike Newton changed the name to The Old Bulldog – formerly Sea Lion pub – more than a year ago, inspired by his own pet bulldog Atticus. 

But Peta – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – wrote to Mr Newton calling on him to change the name of the Anchor Terrace boozer due to health issues sometimes related with the dog breed. 

The organisation wrote: ‘Bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds are afflicted with brachycephalic syndrome, which causes laboured breathing, snorting, coughing, retching, tiring easily, and fainting.’ 

Peta wants The Old Bulldog to be renamed as The Old Mutt. 

Businessman Mike Newton (pictured with his bulldog Atticus) has blasted ‘left wing wokery’ after facing mounting pressure from Peta to change the name of his Stoke-on-Trent pub The Old Bulldog 

Peta said The Old Bulldog should be renamed due to health issues sometimes related with the dog breed

‘Bulldogs have been bred so that their snouts are pushed against their skulls and there isn’t enough space to accommodate healthy anatomical features, making them prone to breathing problems,’ they wrote. 

‘This is the leading cause of death for bulldogs. I hope you’ll agree that breeding dogs with unnatural features that cause severe health problems is cruel. 

‘This is why restrictions have been imposed on breeding breathing-impaired breeds in Norway and the Netherlands and why many other countries are looking to follow suit.’ 

Discussing the pub’s name, Peta wrote: ‘We would be glad to contribute to the costs of a new sign and could even help with creating an adorable mutt-focused design.’

Mr Newton has created dozens of jobs since buying the pub with his cousin James Knowles just before the start of the Covid pandemic.

He said: ‘I think it is very important that, while we all understand the need to provide animal welfare, our national symbols are not attacked.

Mr Newton changed the pub’s name – formerly Sea Lion pub – more than a year ago. Peta wants The Old Bulldog to be renamed as The Old Mutt

‘I also think the overwhelming majority of bulldogs and flat face breeds are happy, healthy dogs and as long as their owners care for them, feed them the right diet, and give them exercise, there is absolutely no reason why there should be any ban on them. 

‘The real sub text is not so much animal welfare – it is more extreme left wing wokery.’ 

Mr Newton added: ‘I have grown up around here and have strong links to the area. I want to put something back in the community. 

READ MORE: Peta founder makes GRUESOME request in her will for her windpipe to be sent to Crufts, her neck to King Charles and her heart to Elon Musk to ‘surprise those who harm animals’

‘I am grateful to the management team of Angela, Courtney and Jess. We have probably created a dozen jobs and put £25,000 investment into the community.

‘We decided to change the name. The girls have got a bulldog and I have Atticus. We thought The Old Bulldog would be a good name.

‘We were feeling a bit insulted when we got this very patronising letter from the charity that represents the worst of wokism, telling us how to run our business. It has been hard enough to make money in the pub trade in recent years.

‘Initially I thought the letter was a prank. But then it turned out to be deadly serious. I do not think big charity should interfere with the small business. And I also do not think that woke people should be attacking our national symbols.’ 

He added: ‘I think, in the Potteries and Staffordshire generally, we do not like being told what to do and we like to display a bit of bulldog spirit.’ 

Peta’s Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen said: ‘Unlike bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds, one-of-a-kind mixed-breed dogs are typically healthier and usually live longer than their pedigree cousins. 

‘Peta is encouraging The Old Bulldog to become ‘The Old Mutt’ to win the praise of caring Stokies and help convince everyone to stop buying or breeding dogs with horrific, life-threatening deformities.’ 

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