Stop Extreme Dog Breeding on California State Property: Cancel the OC Bully Reunion
The Issue
PUBLIC PETITION AND REQUEST FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION
CALIFORNIA: STOP REWARDING EXTREME BREEDING ON STATE PROPERTY
We call on the OC Fair & Event Center to suspend or cancel the December 5 “Bully Reunion” pending an independent animal-welfare review and to establish transparent, science-based welfare standards for breeding-focused events held on California state property.
On December 5, 2026, the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa is scheduled to host “The Bully Reunion Returns — Cali Vibes.”
The event is being presented and promoted by TopShelf Exotic Bulls, known publicly on Instagram as @topshelf_exotic_bulls.[1][8] The event’s own title — “The Bully Reunion Returns” — presents it as a returning event rather than a first-time gathering.[1]
According to the event’s public advertising, the gathering is promoted to “dogs, breeders, businesses, and community.” It specifically identifies Exotic Bullies and XL Bullies, describes the event as more than an “All-Frenchie show,” advertises international judges and multiple breeds and competitive categories, and promotes networking among breeders, brands, and businesses.[1]
TopShelf Exotic Bulls also maintains a public presence within the broader Exotic Bully and breeder-show community, including participation in and promotion surrounding breeder-focused bully events.[8]
This is not simply a disagreement over what type of dog someone personally finds attractive.
It raises a much larger animal-welfare and public-accountability question:
SHOULD CALIFORNIA STATE PROPERTY BE USED TO JUDGE, REWARD, PROMOTE, NETWORK AROUND, AND COMMERCIALLY ELEVATE DOGS WHOSE DELIBERATELY EXAGGERATED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH SERIOUS AND PREVENTABLE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES?
The concern is not the dogs.
The concern is what human beings are intentionally breeding dogs to become.
French Bulldogs, Exotic Bullies, Micro Bullies, and other increasingly exaggerated dog types can display characteristics deliberately selected because humans consider them desirable: extremely shortened muzzles, disproportionately large heads, broad chests, compact frames, shortened limbs, excessive skin folds, unusual colors and patterns, and increasingly dramatic body proportions.
Veterinary research has established that when physical characteristics are pushed toward extremes, the consequences can extend far beyond appearance.[2][3][4][5]
A dog should not struggle to breathe because humans wanted a flatter face.
A dog should not struggle to move because humans wanted a shorter, wider, or more exaggerated body.
A dog should not face preventable sensory abnormalities because a particular color or coat pattern became commercially desirable.
A dog should not spend its lifetime dealing with pain or structural disease because its anatomy was considered impressive in a show ring, breeding program, social-media feed, or marketplace.
THIS IS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE BREEDING DOGS TO BECOME
Selective breeding gives human beings tremendous control over canine appearance.
That control carries responsibility.
When increasingly exaggerated traits are intentionally selected generation after generation, health and function can become secondary to appearance.
Scientific literature has described excessively exaggerated conformations as “hypertypes” and warned that prioritizing appearance over health, temperament, normal function, and welfare can create significant consequences for animals.[5]
Extreme conformational selection can contribute to respiratory, ocular, dermatological, dental, reproductive, neurological, and musculoskeletal disease, depending on the anatomical characteristic being selected.[2][3][5]
This distinction is important.
The argument is not that every French Bulldog is sick.
It is not that every merle dog has a genetic disorder.
It is not that every short-legged dog has spinal disease.
The issue is this:
WHEN HUMANS INTENTIONALLY SELECT MORE EXTREME VERSIONS OF PHYSICAL TRAITS, THOSE CHOICES CAN CARRY MEASURABLE BIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES.
Dog competitions matter because competitions can help establish what is considered desirable.
A dog wins.
That dog’s appearance receives recognition.
Recognition creates status.
Status can create demand.
Demand influences breeding decisions.
And those breeding decisions influence the next generation of dogs.
A judging standard therefore does more than express an opinion about which dog looks best. It can help influence which physical characteristics humans choose to reproduce.
That is precisely why a breeding-focused show taking place on property operated by a California state entity deserves scrutiny.
FRENCH BULLDOGS PROVIDE A WARNING WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE
The French Bulldog provides one of the clearest scientific examples of why extreme conformation deserves serious public attention.
A major peer-reviewed Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study compared 2,781 French Bulldogs with 21,850 non-French Bulldogs receiving primary veterinary care.[3]
Researchers evaluated 43 common specific disorders.
French Bulldogs had significantly increased adjusted odds for 20 of those 43 disorders.[3]
Among the most striking findings, French Bulldogs had approximately:
42 times the adjusted odds of stenotic nares — abnormally narrowed nostrils;
31 times the adjusted odds of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, or BOAS;
11 times the adjusted odds of skin-fold dermatitis; and
9 times the adjusted odds of dystocia, or difficulty giving birth.[3]
Researchers concluded that many of the strongest disease predispositions identified were closely associated with the conformational extremes that define the modern French Bulldog and proposed movement toward more moderate physical conformation as a means of improving breed health.[3]
These are not cosmetic inconveniences.
BOAS is an obstructive respiratory disorder.
The World Veterinary Association states that extreme brachycephaly is associated with significant health and welfare concerns, can compromise health and quality of life, and may require medical or surgical intervention.[2]
The WVA specifically discusses established brachycephalic breeds, including the French Bulldog, and identifies the Exotic Bully among newer dog types developed with extreme brachycephalic characteristics.[2]
Potential consequences associated with extreme brachycephaly and exaggerated conformation include respiratory impairment, reduced exercise tolerance, difficulty tolerating heat and humidity, reproductive problems, eye disease, skin disease, spinal abnormalities, and abnormal limb conformation.[2]
BREATHING DIFFICULTY SHOULD NOT BECOME A BREED CHARACTERISTIC.
Snoring should not automatically be treated as cute.
Exercise intolerance should not automatically be dismissed as laziness.
A physical impairment should not become “normal” simply because humans have reproduced it frequently enough.
THE EXOTIC AND MICRO TREND DESERVES PARTICULAR SCRUTINY
The language surrounding extreme dog breeding often tells us exactly what is being rewarded:
Shorter.
Wider.
Thicker.
Flatter.
More compact.
More wrinkled.
Smaller.
More extreme.
But none of those words means healthier.
The growing market for extremely compact and “micro” dogs deserves scrutiny because dramatically altering skeletal proportions can intersect with genuine genetic and orthopedic concerns.
The University of California, Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory documents one relevant example in canine chondrodystrophy.[4]
UC Davis explains that chondrodystrophy associated with a particular FGF4 retrogene can produce a short-legged phenotype while also being associated with premature degeneration of intervertebral discs and increased susceptibility to disc herniation and intervertebral disc disease, or IVDD.[4]
This does not establish that every Micro Bully possesses that particular mutation.
It establishes something broader and critically important:
DRAMATICALLY ALTERING A DOG’S SKELETAL PROPORTIONS CANNOT BE TREATED AS IF IT WERE PURELY COSMETIC.
Genetics matter.
Structure matters.
Mobility matters.
Function matters.
Pain matters.
Quality of life matters.
Deliberately pushing a dog’s body toward increasingly dramatic proportions demands more health scrutiny — not less.
MERLE: WHEN A GENETIC TRAIT BECOMES A MARKETING FEATURE
Color provides another important example.
Merle is visually distinctive and has become commercially desirable in numerous dog populations.
But accuracy matters:
Being merle does not automatically make a dog unhealthy.
The serious welfare concern arises when breeding decisions prioritize producing a desired pattern without properly accounting for the genetics behind it.
The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory states that breeding two dogs carrying certain merle variants can produce double-merle offspring.[4]
According to UC Davis, double-merle dogs can be at increased risk for auditory and ophthalmologic abnormalities, among other potential abnormalities, and UC Davis discourages merle-to-merle breeding because of the risk to offspring.[4]
That distinction matters.
There is nothing wrong with the dog who was born merle.
The dog made no decision.
The responsibility belongs to the humans selecting the parents.
When coloration, unusual eye color, coat type, body size, head shape, or another distinctive characteristic becomes financially valuable, there is an economic incentive to reproduce it.
That is why genetic health must take precedence over marketability.
A DOG’S GENOME SHOULD NOT BECOME A FASHION CATALOG.
EXTREME PHYSICAL TRAITS CAN AFFECT MORE THAN APPEARANCE
A dog’s anatomy affects how that dog experiences life.
Dogs need to run.
Play.
Sleep.
Breathe.
Communicate.
Regulate body temperature.
Interact with other dogs.
Explore their environment.
And move without unnecessary pain.
A peer-reviewed review of appearance-driven breeding concluded that prioritizing exaggerated physical characteristics can interfere with normal biological function and animal welfare.[5]
The consequences do not necessarily stop with a diagnosis.
Pain and physical impairment can affect behavior. Chronic discomfort can alter activity, willingness to play, tolerance for handling, social engagement, and other aspects of a dog’s daily life.[5]
A dog living with respiratory restriction cannot exercise like a dog with a fully functional airway.
A dog living with significant orthopedic pain cannot move normally.
A dog experiencing chronic discomfort may respond differently to its environment because pain affects behavior.
This does not mean French Bulldogs or bully-type dogs are inherently behaviorally unsound.
It means something far more basic:
PHYSICAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL WELFARE ARE CONNECTED.
When human breeding decisions compromise normal physical function, those decisions can affect a dog’s entire experience of life.
THEN COMES THE PART THE PUBLIC RARELY SEES
The photographs show puppies.
The advertisements show pedigrees.
The competitions show trophies.
Social media shows rare colors, dramatic heads, compact bodies, and dogs posed to emphasize whichever physical characteristics are currently considered desirable.
But every one of those dogs has an entire lifetime after the sale.
What happens when the dog develops serious medical problems?
What happens when treatment costs thousands of dollars?
What happens when an owner can no longer afford veterinary care?
What happens when a breeding animal is no longer being bred?
What happens when a dog is surrendered?
What happens when an animal requires surgery, specialist treatment, rehabilitation, or lifelong medication?
What happens when that animal enters a publicly funded shelter?
Someone still has to care for that dog.
ORANGE COUNTY ALREADY SPENDS MILLIONS CARING FOR ANIMALS
There is no reliable California government database identifying precisely how many shelter dogs originated with commercial breeders or how much public shelter spending is directly attributable to extreme breeding.
This petition does not claim otherwise.
What government records do demonstrate is the scale of the animal-care infrastructure required when animals become lost, homeless, surrendered, injured, or medically complicated.
OC Animal Care recorded 5,048 live dog intakes during calendar year 2025, including hundreds of owner-relinquished dogs.[6]
Orange County also budgets tens of millions of dollars for its animal-care operation, which provides animal control, sheltering, veterinary services, and related functions.[6]
Those figures should not be misrepresented.
They do not establish that extreme breeders caused the entirety of Orange County’s animal-care expenses.
They establish the broader public reality:
CARING FOR ANIMALS WHO BECOME HOMELESS, SURRENDERED, INJURED, OR MEDICALLY COMPLICATED REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC AND CHARITABLE RESOURCES.
The financial responsibility does not simply disappear after a puppy is sold.
Costs can eventually be absorbed by municipal animal-care agencies, nonprofit organizations, individual donors, foster homes, adopters, families facing major veterinary expenses, and other community resources.
The person who profits from breeding or selling a dog is not necessarily the person paying for that dog’s care five or ten years later.
The commercial benefit can occur at the beginning of a dog’s life, while the health and welfare consequences can continue throughout that dog’s lifetime.
That deserves scrutiny — especially when a breeding-focused event is being held on property operated by a California public institution.
THIS IS NOT AN ORDINARY PRIVATE VENUE
The OC Fair & Event Center is operated by the 32nd District Agricultural Association, a California state entity.[7]
Its Board of Directors is appointed by the Governor of California and is responsible for establishing and approving organizational policy.[7]
The Board states that it represents the public interest.[7]
That changes the conversation.
The question is no longer merely:
“Should someone be allowed to organize a dog show?”
The question becomes:
WHAT STANDARDS SHOULD APPLY WHEN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC PROPERTY IS USED TO COMMERCIALLY PROMOTE AND COMPETITIVELY REWARD SELECTIVELY BRED ANIMALS?
TopShelf Exotic Bulls / @topshelf_exotic_bulls is publicly identified with the promotion of this returning breeder-focused event.[1][8]
The venue therefore has a responsibility to determine exactly what activities it is providing a platform for and what welfare requirements apply.
Before December 5, the public deserves answers:
What animal-welfare review was conducted before approving an event organized and promoted within the Exotic Bully breeding community?
Did the OC Fair & Event Center review TopShelf Exotic Bulls’ previous Bully Reunion events or event history before accepting this booking?
What health standards apply to participating dogs?
Can a dog with clinically significant respiratory impairment win a conformation award?
Can an exaggerated anatomical characteristic associated with compromised normal function itself be rewarded?
Will qualified, independent veterinary professionals evaluate participating dogs?
Will meaningful respiratory-function screening be required for severely brachycephalic dogs?
What health testing is expected of participating breeders?
What protections exist concerning high-risk genetic pairings?
What rules govern merle-to-merle breeding among breeders participating in or promoting themselves at the event?
Are puppies or adult dogs permitted to be sold?
Are deposits permitted?
Are stud services permitted to be marketed?
Are breeding services permitted to be advertised or arranged?
What safeguards exist for dogs whose extreme conformation creates obvious welfare concerns?
Are participating breeders required to disclose what happens when dogs they produce later require rehoming?
Are there any requirements concerning the long-term disposition of retired breeding animals?
These questions should have answers before December 5 — not after.
OUR REQUEST TO THE OC FAIR & EVENT CENTER AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
We respectfully request that the OC Fair & Event Center and the 32nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors:
Suspend or cancel the December 5, 2026, “Bully Reunion Returns — Cali Vibes” pending an independent animal-welfare review.
Conduct a formal review of the event application and contract, TopShelf Exotic Bulls’ role in organizing and promoting the event, advertised activities, judging criteria, breeder participation, and animal-welfare requirements.
Review the history of this returning event and determine whether dogs displaying potentially health-compromising conformational extremes have previously been promoted or rewarded.
Establish science-based standards governing breeder-focused and conformation events conducted on California state fair property.
Prohibit judging criteria that reward physical exaggerations associated with compromised respiration, locomotion, reproduction, vision, hearing, or other normal biological functions.
Establish meaningful veterinary-welfare requirements for extremely brachycephalic dogs participating in competitive events.
Require appropriate genetic-health screening for breeding-related exhibitors and prohibit the promotion or conduct of knowingly high-risk breeding practices at events on state property.
Establish specific protections concerning merle genetics and other known heritable health risks.
Require transparency regarding dog sales, puppy deposits, stud services, breeding advertisements, and other breeding-related commercial activity occurring at state-facility events.
Require breeders conducting commercial activities on public property to disclose their policies regarding the lifetime return, surrender, or rehoming of dogs they produce.
Publish the resulting animal-welfare standards so Californians can understand what protections exist when animals are exhibited or commercially promoted on public property.
WE ARE ASKING PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO PAY ATTENTION
The immediate decision belongs to those responsible for the OC Fair & Event Center.
But this is a California public institution.
The public has every right to ask its representatives to examine how state property is being used.
We respectfully call for attention and a public response from:
The OC Fair & Event Center / 32nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors
OC Fair & Event Center Chair Barbara Bagneris
OC Fair & Event Center Vice Chair Robert Ruiz
and the remaining members of the Governor-appointed Fair Board.[7]
We further call for attention from:
Governor Gavin Newsom
The California Department of Food and Agriculture
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley
California Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris
California State Senator Steven Choi
U.S. Representative Dave Min
Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens
and the Costa Mesa City Council.
We are asking these officials to examine a publicly operated venue’s decision to host a returning event promoted by TopShelf Exotic Bulls / @topshelf_exotic_bulls within the Exotic Bully breeding and show community.[1][8]
This request is not asking public officials to attack individual dog owners.
It is asking government officials to confront a legitimate policy question:
SHOULD PUBLIC PROPERTY BE USED TO REWARD AND COMMERCIALIZE EXTREME CANINE APPEARANCE WITHOUT TRANSPARENT, SCIENCE-BASED STANDARDS PROTECTING THE DOGS?
THE DOGS DID NOT CREATE THIS.
French Bulldogs did not decide flat faces were desirable.
Micro Bullies did not decide shorter was better.
Exotic Bullies did not decide wider was better.
Merle puppies did not decide their color should make them more valuable.
Dogs did not create social-media trends.
Dogs did not create breed standards.
Dogs did not set puppy prices.
Dogs do not collect stud fees.
Dogs do not choose their parents.
Dogs do not award trophies.
Humans do.
And that means humans also have the ability — and the responsibility — to change what we reward.
A healthy airway should matter more than a dramatic head.
Normal movement should matter more than an extreme stance.
Genetic health should matter more than a rare color.
Quality of life should matter more than novelty.
Function should matter more than fashion.
A DOG SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO SPEND ITS LIFETIME PAYING FOR OUR IDEA OF BEAUTIFUL.
AND THEN THERE IS DRAKEO.
Drakeo is the boy behind this fight — not because this is about revenge for what happened to him, but because loving him made it impossible to stay quiet about what dogs like him are being asked to endure.
This is bigger than Drakeo now. It is about making sure fewer dogs have to live lives shaped by human choices that value appearance over their comfort, health, and future.
MEDIA & PUBLIC INQUIRIES
Sierra Orebaugh
Pits & Pals K9 Rescue
media@pitsandpalsk9rescue.com
FORMAL REFERENCES
[1] Corina Mac Events & Marketing. (2026). The Bully Reunion Returns — Cali Vibes! Eventbrite.
Primary event source documenting the December 5, 2026 event at the OC Fair & Event Center; its “Returns” branding; its advertised participation by dogs, breeders, and businesses; references to Exotic Bullies and XL Bullies; international judges; competitive categories; vendors; and breeder/business networking.
[2] World Veterinary Association. (2026). Factsheet on Brachycephaly in Dogs. World Veterinary Association.
Veterinary-policy source supporting statements concerning extreme brachycephaly, respiratory compromise, exercise and heat intolerance, reproductive difficulties, ocular and dermatological disease, spinal abnormalities, abnormal limb conformation, quality-of-life concerns, and medical or surgical intervention. The WVA discusses French Bulldogs and specifically identifies the Exotic Bully in its discussion of newer extremely brachycephalic dogs.
[3] O’Neill, D. G., Packer, R. M. A., Francis, P., Church, D. B., Brodbelt, D. C., & Pegram, C. (2021). French Bulldogs differ to other dogs in the UK in propensity for many common disorders: A VetCompass study. Canine Medicine and Genetics, 8, Article 13.
Peer-reviewed Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study involving 2,781 French Bulldogs and 21,850 non-French Bulldogs. Source for the reported adjusted odds involving stenotic nares, BOAS, skin-fold dermatitis, dystocia, and the authors’ conclusions concerning French Bulldog conformational extremes.
[4] University of California, Davis, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. (n.d.). Merle; Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD) and Chondrodysplasia (CDPA). UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Academic veterinary-genetics sources supporting statements concerning merle inheritance, risks associated with double-merle offspring, UC Davis guidance discouraging merle-to-merle breeding, and the relationship between CDDY, shortened limbs, premature intervertebral-disc degeneration, disc herniation, and IVDD susceptibility.
[5] Morel, E., Malineau, L., Venet, C., Gaillard, V., & Péron, F. (2024). Prioritization of appearance over health and temperament is detrimental to the welfare of purebred dogs and cats. Animals, 14(7), 1003.
Peer-reviewed animal-welfare review supporting discussion of exaggerated conformations or “hypertypes,” appearance-driven selective breeding, health and welfare consequences, and prioritization of function, health, and temperament over extreme appearance.
[6] OC Animal Care / County of Orange. (2025–2026). Shelter Animals Count: 2025 Calendar Year Data; County of Orange FY 2025–26 Annual Budget — OC Animal Care.
Official Orange County government records supporting statements regarding the scale of dog intake handled by OC Animal Care and the substantial public resources devoted to animal control, sheltering, veterinary care, and related services.
[7] OC Fair & Event Center. (2026). Board of Directors; Public Information. 32nd District Agricultural Association, State of California.
Official government source establishing the OC Fair & Event Center’s public governance structure, Governor-appointed Board, policymaking authority, and stated responsibility to represent the public interest.
[8] TopShelf Exotic Bulls. (2026). @topshelf_exotic_bulls. Instagram public profile and publicly distributed breeder/event promotional materials.
Primary social-media source identifying TopShelf Exotic Bulls’ public presence within the Exotic Bully breeding/show community and its promotion of the Bully Reunion and other bully-focused breeder-event activity. The December event’s separate Eventbrite listing is cited as Reference [1] for independently published event details.
SOURCING AND ACCURACY STATEMENT
This petition distinguishes between documented evidence and advocacy conclusions.
It does not claim that every French Bulldog, Exotic Bully, Micro Bully, merle dog, or bully-type dog is unhealthy.
It does not claim that every dog entering a California shelter originated with a breeder.
It does not attribute the entirety of Orange County animal-services spending to dog breeding.
Available government shelter statistics do not reliably identify the complete breeding history of every animal entering the system, and no unsupported percentage is asserted here.
Likewise, references to TopShelf Exotic Bulls / @topshelf_exotic_bulls concern its publicly presented role in the breeder/show community and promotion of this event. This petition does not attribute medical conditions affecting individual dogs to that account or allege unlawful conduct by its operators without independent evidence.
The factual claims regarding genetics, extreme conformation, brachycephaly, French Bulldog disorder predisposition, Orange County animal-care operations, OC Fair & Event Center governance, and the December 5 event are based upon the veterinary, academic, peer-reviewed, governmental, event, and primary-source materials identified above.
The argument presented by this petition is that when scientific evidence demonstrates that deliberate selection for particular extreme physical characteristics can compromise canine health and normal function, a California public institution should not reward or commercially promote those characteristics without transparent and meaningful animal-welfare safeguards.
54
The Issue
PUBLIC PETITION AND REQUEST FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION
CALIFORNIA: STOP REWARDING EXTREME BREEDING ON STATE PROPERTY
We call on the OC Fair & Event Center to suspend or cancel the December 5 “Bully Reunion” pending an independent animal-welfare review and to establish transparent, science-based welfare standards for breeding-focused events held on California state property.
On December 5, 2026, the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa is scheduled to host “The Bully Reunion Returns — Cali Vibes.”
The event is being presented and promoted by TopShelf Exotic Bulls, known publicly on Instagram as @topshelf_exotic_bulls.[1][8] The event’s own title — “The Bully Reunion Returns” — presents it as a returning event rather than a first-time gathering.[1]
According to the event’s public advertising, the gathering is promoted to “dogs, breeders, businesses, and community.” It specifically identifies Exotic Bullies and XL Bullies, describes the event as more than an “All-Frenchie show,” advertises international judges and multiple breeds and competitive categories, and promotes networking among breeders, brands, and businesses.[1]
TopShelf Exotic Bulls also maintains a public presence within the broader Exotic Bully and breeder-show community, including participation in and promotion surrounding breeder-focused bully events.[8]
This is not simply a disagreement over what type of dog someone personally finds attractive.
It raises a much larger animal-welfare and public-accountability question:
SHOULD CALIFORNIA STATE PROPERTY BE USED TO JUDGE, REWARD, PROMOTE, NETWORK AROUND, AND COMMERCIALLY ELEVATE DOGS WHOSE DELIBERATELY EXAGGERATED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH SERIOUS AND PREVENTABLE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES?
The concern is not the dogs.
The concern is what human beings are intentionally breeding dogs to become.
French Bulldogs, Exotic Bullies, Micro Bullies, and other increasingly exaggerated dog types can display characteristics deliberately selected because humans consider them desirable: extremely shortened muzzles, disproportionately large heads, broad chests, compact frames, shortened limbs, excessive skin folds, unusual colors and patterns, and increasingly dramatic body proportions.
Veterinary research has established that when physical characteristics are pushed toward extremes, the consequences can extend far beyond appearance.[2][3][4][5]
A dog should not struggle to breathe because humans wanted a flatter face.
A dog should not struggle to move because humans wanted a shorter, wider, or more exaggerated body.
A dog should not face preventable sensory abnormalities because a particular color or coat pattern became commercially desirable.
A dog should not spend its lifetime dealing with pain or structural disease because its anatomy was considered impressive in a show ring, breeding program, social-media feed, or marketplace.
THIS IS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE BREEDING DOGS TO BECOME
Selective breeding gives human beings tremendous control over canine appearance.
That control carries responsibility.
When increasingly exaggerated traits are intentionally selected generation after generation, health and function can become secondary to appearance.
Scientific literature has described excessively exaggerated conformations as “hypertypes” and warned that prioritizing appearance over health, temperament, normal function, and welfare can create significant consequences for animals.[5]
Extreme conformational selection can contribute to respiratory, ocular, dermatological, dental, reproductive, neurological, and musculoskeletal disease, depending on the anatomical characteristic being selected.[2][3][5]
This distinction is important.
The argument is not that every French Bulldog is sick.
It is not that every merle dog has a genetic disorder.
It is not that every short-legged dog has spinal disease.
The issue is this:
WHEN HUMANS INTENTIONALLY SELECT MORE EXTREME VERSIONS OF PHYSICAL TRAITS, THOSE CHOICES CAN CARRY MEASURABLE BIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES.
Dog competitions matter because competitions can help establish what is considered desirable.
A dog wins.
That dog’s appearance receives recognition.
Recognition creates status.
Status can create demand.
Demand influences breeding decisions.
And those breeding decisions influence the next generation of dogs.
A judging standard therefore does more than express an opinion about which dog looks best. It can help influence which physical characteristics humans choose to reproduce.
That is precisely why a breeding-focused show taking place on property operated by a California state entity deserves scrutiny.
FRENCH BULLDOGS PROVIDE A WARNING WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE
The French Bulldog provides one of the clearest scientific examples of why extreme conformation deserves serious public attention.
A major peer-reviewed Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study compared 2,781 French Bulldogs with 21,850 non-French Bulldogs receiving primary veterinary care.[3]
Researchers evaluated 43 common specific disorders.
French Bulldogs had significantly increased adjusted odds for 20 of those 43 disorders.[3]
Among the most striking findings, French Bulldogs had approximately:
42 times the adjusted odds of stenotic nares — abnormally narrowed nostrils;
31 times the adjusted odds of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, or BOAS;
11 times the adjusted odds of skin-fold dermatitis; and
9 times the adjusted odds of dystocia, or difficulty giving birth.[3]
Researchers concluded that many of the strongest disease predispositions identified were closely associated with the conformational extremes that define the modern French Bulldog and proposed movement toward more moderate physical conformation as a means of improving breed health.[3]
These are not cosmetic inconveniences.
BOAS is an obstructive respiratory disorder.
The World Veterinary Association states that extreme brachycephaly is associated with significant health and welfare concerns, can compromise health and quality of life, and may require medical or surgical intervention.[2]
The WVA specifically discusses established brachycephalic breeds, including the French Bulldog, and identifies the Exotic Bully among newer dog types developed with extreme brachycephalic characteristics.[2]
Potential consequences associated with extreme brachycephaly and exaggerated conformation include respiratory impairment, reduced exercise tolerance, difficulty tolerating heat and humidity, reproductive problems, eye disease, skin disease, spinal abnormalities, and abnormal limb conformation.[2]
BREATHING DIFFICULTY SHOULD NOT BECOME A BREED CHARACTERISTIC.
Snoring should not automatically be treated as cute.
Exercise intolerance should not automatically be dismissed as laziness.
A physical impairment should not become “normal” simply because humans have reproduced it frequently enough.
THE EXOTIC AND MICRO TREND DESERVES PARTICULAR SCRUTINY
The language surrounding extreme dog breeding often tells us exactly what is being rewarded:
Shorter.
Wider.
Thicker.
Flatter.
More compact.
More wrinkled.
Smaller.
More extreme.
But none of those words means healthier.
The growing market for extremely compact and “micro” dogs deserves scrutiny because dramatically altering skeletal proportions can intersect with genuine genetic and orthopedic concerns.
The University of California, Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory documents one relevant example in canine chondrodystrophy.[4]
UC Davis explains that chondrodystrophy associated with a particular FGF4 retrogene can produce a short-legged phenotype while also being associated with premature degeneration of intervertebral discs and increased susceptibility to disc herniation and intervertebral disc disease, or IVDD.[4]
This does not establish that every Micro Bully possesses that particular mutation.
It establishes something broader and critically important:
DRAMATICALLY ALTERING A DOG’S SKELETAL PROPORTIONS CANNOT BE TREATED AS IF IT WERE PURELY COSMETIC.
Genetics matter.
Structure matters.
Mobility matters.
Function matters.
Pain matters.
Quality of life matters.
Deliberately pushing a dog’s body toward increasingly dramatic proportions demands more health scrutiny — not less.
MERLE: WHEN A GENETIC TRAIT BECOMES A MARKETING FEATURE
Color provides another important example.
Merle is visually distinctive and has become commercially desirable in numerous dog populations.
But accuracy matters:
Being merle does not automatically make a dog unhealthy.
The serious welfare concern arises when breeding decisions prioritize producing a desired pattern without properly accounting for the genetics behind it.
The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory states that breeding two dogs carrying certain merle variants can produce double-merle offspring.[4]
According to UC Davis, double-merle dogs can be at increased risk for auditory and ophthalmologic abnormalities, among other potential abnormalities, and UC Davis discourages merle-to-merle breeding because of the risk to offspring.[4]
That distinction matters.
There is nothing wrong with the dog who was born merle.
The dog made no decision.
The responsibility belongs to the humans selecting the parents.
When coloration, unusual eye color, coat type, body size, head shape, or another distinctive characteristic becomes financially valuable, there is an economic incentive to reproduce it.
That is why genetic health must take precedence over marketability.
A DOG’S GENOME SHOULD NOT BECOME A FASHION CATALOG.
EXTREME PHYSICAL TRAITS CAN AFFECT MORE THAN APPEARANCE
A dog’s anatomy affects how that dog experiences life.
Dogs need to run.
Play.
Sleep.
Breathe.
Communicate.
Regulate body temperature.
Interact with other dogs.
Explore their environment.
And move without unnecessary pain.
A peer-reviewed review of appearance-driven breeding concluded that prioritizing exaggerated physical characteristics can interfere with normal biological function and animal welfare.[5]
The consequences do not necessarily stop with a diagnosis.
Pain and physical impairment can affect behavior. Chronic discomfort can alter activity, willingness to play, tolerance for handling, social engagement, and other aspects of a dog’s daily life.[5]
A dog living with respiratory restriction cannot exercise like a dog with a fully functional airway.
A dog living with significant orthopedic pain cannot move normally.
A dog experiencing chronic discomfort may respond differently to its environment because pain affects behavior.
This does not mean French Bulldogs or bully-type dogs are inherently behaviorally unsound.
It means something far more basic:
PHYSICAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL WELFARE ARE CONNECTED.
When human breeding decisions compromise normal physical function, those decisions can affect a dog’s entire experience of life.
THEN COMES THE PART THE PUBLIC RARELY SEES
The photographs show puppies.
The advertisements show pedigrees.
The competitions show trophies.
Social media shows rare colors, dramatic heads, compact bodies, and dogs posed to emphasize whichever physical characteristics are currently considered desirable.
But every one of those dogs has an entire lifetime after the sale.
What happens when the dog develops serious medical problems?
What happens when treatment costs thousands of dollars?
What happens when an owner can no longer afford veterinary care?
What happens when a breeding animal is no longer being bred?
What happens when a dog is surrendered?
What happens when an animal requires surgery, specialist treatment, rehabilitation, or lifelong medication?
What happens when that animal enters a publicly funded shelter?
Someone still has to care for that dog.
ORANGE COUNTY ALREADY SPENDS MILLIONS CARING FOR ANIMALS
There is no reliable California government database identifying precisely how many shelter dogs originated with commercial breeders or how much public shelter spending is directly attributable to extreme breeding.
This petition does not claim otherwise.
What government records do demonstrate is the scale of the animal-care infrastructure required when animals become lost, homeless, surrendered, injured, or medically complicated.
OC Animal Care recorded 5,048 live dog intakes during calendar year 2025, including hundreds of owner-relinquished dogs.[6]
Orange County also budgets tens of millions of dollars for its animal-care operation, which provides animal control, sheltering, veterinary services, and related functions.[6]
Those figures should not be misrepresented.
They do not establish that extreme breeders caused the entirety of Orange County’s animal-care expenses.
They establish the broader public reality:
CARING FOR ANIMALS WHO BECOME HOMELESS, SURRENDERED, INJURED, OR MEDICALLY COMPLICATED REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC AND CHARITABLE RESOURCES.
The financial responsibility does not simply disappear after a puppy is sold.
Costs can eventually be absorbed by municipal animal-care agencies, nonprofit organizations, individual donors, foster homes, adopters, families facing major veterinary expenses, and other community resources.
The person who profits from breeding or selling a dog is not necessarily the person paying for that dog’s care five or ten years later.
The commercial benefit can occur at the beginning of a dog’s life, while the health and welfare consequences can continue throughout that dog’s lifetime.
That deserves scrutiny — especially when a breeding-focused event is being held on property operated by a California public institution.
THIS IS NOT AN ORDINARY PRIVATE VENUE
The OC Fair & Event Center is operated by the 32nd District Agricultural Association, a California state entity.[7]
Its Board of Directors is appointed by the Governor of California and is responsible for establishing and approving organizational policy.[7]
The Board states that it represents the public interest.[7]
That changes the conversation.
The question is no longer merely:
“Should someone be allowed to organize a dog show?”
The question becomes:
WHAT STANDARDS SHOULD APPLY WHEN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC PROPERTY IS USED TO COMMERCIALLY PROMOTE AND COMPETITIVELY REWARD SELECTIVELY BRED ANIMALS?
TopShelf Exotic Bulls / @topshelf_exotic_bulls is publicly identified with the promotion of this returning breeder-focused event.[1][8]
The venue therefore has a responsibility to determine exactly what activities it is providing a platform for and what welfare requirements apply.
Before December 5, the public deserves answers:
What animal-welfare review was conducted before approving an event organized and promoted within the Exotic Bully breeding community?
Did the OC Fair & Event Center review TopShelf Exotic Bulls’ previous Bully Reunion events or event history before accepting this booking?
What health standards apply to participating dogs?
Can a dog with clinically significant respiratory impairment win a conformation award?
Can an exaggerated anatomical characteristic associated with compromised normal function itself be rewarded?
Will qualified, independent veterinary professionals evaluate participating dogs?
Will meaningful respiratory-function screening be required for severely brachycephalic dogs?
What health testing is expected of participating breeders?
What protections exist concerning high-risk genetic pairings?
What rules govern merle-to-merle breeding among breeders participating in or promoting themselves at the event?
Are puppies or adult dogs permitted to be sold?
Are deposits permitted?
Are stud services permitted to be marketed?
Are breeding services permitted to be advertised or arranged?
What safeguards exist for dogs whose extreme conformation creates obvious welfare concerns?
Are participating breeders required to disclose what happens when dogs they produce later require rehoming?
Are there any requirements concerning the long-term disposition of retired breeding animals?
These questions should have answers before December 5 — not after.
OUR REQUEST TO THE OC FAIR & EVENT CENTER AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
We respectfully request that the OC Fair & Event Center and the 32nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors:
Suspend or cancel the December 5, 2026, “Bully Reunion Returns — Cali Vibes” pending an independent animal-welfare review.
Conduct a formal review of the event application and contract, TopShelf Exotic Bulls’ role in organizing and promoting the event, advertised activities, judging criteria, breeder participation, and animal-welfare requirements.
Review the history of this returning event and determine whether dogs displaying potentially health-compromising conformational extremes have previously been promoted or rewarded.
Establish science-based standards governing breeder-focused and conformation events conducted on California state fair property.
Prohibit judging criteria that reward physical exaggerations associated with compromised respiration, locomotion, reproduction, vision, hearing, or other normal biological functions.
Establish meaningful veterinary-welfare requirements for extremely brachycephalic dogs participating in competitive events.
Require appropriate genetic-health screening for breeding-related exhibitors and prohibit the promotion or conduct of knowingly high-risk breeding practices at events on state property.
Establish specific protections concerning merle genetics and other known heritable health risks.
Require transparency regarding dog sales, puppy deposits, stud services, breeding advertisements, and other breeding-related commercial activity occurring at state-facility events.
Require breeders conducting commercial activities on public property to disclose their policies regarding the lifetime return, surrender, or rehoming of dogs they produce.
Publish the resulting animal-welfare standards so Californians can understand what protections exist when animals are exhibited or commercially promoted on public property.
WE ARE ASKING PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO PAY ATTENTION
The immediate decision belongs to those responsible for the OC Fair & Event Center.
But this is a California public institution.
The public has every right to ask its representatives to examine how state property is being used.
We respectfully call for attention and a public response from:
The OC Fair & Event Center / 32nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors
OC Fair & Event Center Chair Barbara Bagneris
OC Fair & Event Center Vice Chair Robert Ruiz
and the remaining members of the Governor-appointed Fair Board.[7]
We further call for attention from:
Governor Gavin Newsom
The California Department of Food and Agriculture
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley
California Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris
California State Senator Steven Choi
U.S. Representative Dave Min
Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens
and the Costa Mesa City Council.
We are asking these officials to examine a publicly operated venue’s decision to host a returning event promoted by TopShelf Exotic Bulls / @topshelf_exotic_bulls within the Exotic Bully breeding and show community.[1][8]
This request is not asking public officials to attack individual dog owners.
It is asking government officials to confront a legitimate policy question:
SHOULD PUBLIC PROPERTY BE USED TO REWARD AND COMMERCIALIZE EXTREME CANINE APPEARANCE WITHOUT TRANSPARENT, SCIENCE-BASED STANDARDS PROTECTING THE DOGS?
THE DOGS DID NOT CREATE THIS.
French Bulldogs did not decide flat faces were desirable.
Micro Bullies did not decide shorter was better.
Exotic Bullies did not decide wider was better.
Merle puppies did not decide their color should make them more valuable.
Dogs did not create social-media trends.
Dogs did not create breed standards.
Dogs did not set puppy prices.
Dogs do not collect stud fees.
Dogs do not choose their parents.
Dogs do not award trophies.
Humans do.
And that means humans also have the ability — and the responsibility — to change what we reward.
A healthy airway should matter more than a dramatic head.
Normal movement should matter more than an extreme stance.
Genetic health should matter more than a rare color.
Quality of life should matter more than novelty.
Function should matter more than fashion.
A DOG SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO SPEND ITS LIFETIME PAYING FOR OUR IDEA OF BEAUTIFUL.
AND THEN THERE IS DRAKEO.
Drakeo is the boy behind this fight — not because this is about revenge for what happened to him, but because loving him made it impossible to stay quiet about what dogs like him are being asked to endure.
This is bigger than Drakeo now. It is about making sure fewer dogs have to live lives shaped by human choices that value appearance over their comfort, health, and future.
MEDIA & PUBLIC INQUIRIES
Sierra Orebaugh
Pits & Pals K9 Rescue
media@pitsandpalsk9rescue.com
FORMAL REFERENCES
[1] Corina Mac Events & Marketing. (2026). The Bully Reunion Returns — Cali Vibes! Eventbrite.
Primary event source documenting the December 5, 2026 event at the OC Fair & Event Center; its “Returns” branding; its advertised participation by dogs, breeders, and businesses; references to Exotic Bullies and XL Bullies; international judges; competitive categories; vendors; and breeder/business networking.
[2] World Veterinary Association. (2026). Factsheet on Brachycephaly in Dogs. World Veterinary Association.
Veterinary-policy source supporting statements concerning extreme brachycephaly, respiratory compromise, exercise and heat intolerance, reproductive difficulties, ocular and dermatological disease, spinal abnormalities, abnormal limb conformation, quality-of-life concerns, and medical or surgical intervention. The WVA discusses French Bulldogs and specifically identifies the Exotic Bully in its discussion of newer extremely brachycephalic dogs.
[3] O’Neill, D. G., Packer, R. M. A., Francis, P., Church, D. B., Brodbelt, D. C., & Pegram, C. (2021). French Bulldogs differ to other dogs in the UK in propensity for many common disorders: A VetCompass study. Canine Medicine and Genetics, 8, Article 13.
Peer-reviewed Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study involving 2,781 French Bulldogs and 21,850 non-French Bulldogs. Source for the reported adjusted odds involving stenotic nares, BOAS, skin-fold dermatitis, dystocia, and the authors’ conclusions concerning French Bulldog conformational extremes.
[4] University of California, Davis, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. (n.d.). Merle; Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD) and Chondrodysplasia (CDPA). UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Academic veterinary-genetics sources supporting statements concerning merle inheritance, risks associated with double-merle offspring, UC Davis guidance discouraging merle-to-merle breeding, and the relationship between CDDY, shortened limbs, premature intervertebral-disc degeneration, disc herniation, and IVDD susceptibility.
[5] Morel, E., Malineau, L., Venet, C., Gaillard, V., & Péron, F. (2024). Prioritization of appearance over health and temperament is detrimental to the welfare of purebred dogs and cats. Animals, 14(7), 1003.
Peer-reviewed animal-welfare review supporting discussion of exaggerated conformations or “hypertypes,” appearance-driven selective breeding, health and welfare consequences, and prioritization of function, health, and temperament over extreme appearance.
[6] OC Animal Care / County of Orange. (2025–2026). Shelter Animals Count: 2025 Calendar Year Data; County of Orange FY 2025–26 Annual Budget — OC Animal Care.
Official Orange County government records supporting statements regarding the scale of dog intake handled by OC Animal Care and the substantial public resources devoted to animal control, sheltering, veterinary care, and related services.
[7] OC Fair & Event Center. (2026). Board of Directors; Public Information. 32nd District Agricultural Association, State of California.
Official government source establishing the OC Fair & Event Center’s public governance structure, Governor-appointed Board, policymaking authority, and stated responsibility to represent the public interest.
[8] TopShelf Exotic Bulls. (2026). @topshelf_exotic_bulls. Instagram public profile and publicly distributed breeder/event promotional materials.
Primary social-media source identifying TopShelf Exotic Bulls’ public presence within the Exotic Bully breeding/show community and its promotion of the Bully Reunion and other bully-focused breeder-event activity. The December event’s separate Eventbrite listing is cited as Reference [1] for independently published event details.
SOURCING AND ACCURACY STATEMENT
This petition distinguishes between documented evidence and advocacy conclusions.
It does not claim that every French Bulldog, Exotic Bully, Micro Bully, merle dog, or bully-type dog is unhealthy.
It does not claim that every dog entering a California shelter originated with a breeder.
It does not attribute the entirety of Orange County animal-services spending to dog breeding.
Available government shelter statistics do not reliably identify the complete breeding history of every animal entering the system, and no unsupported percentage is asserted here.
Likewise, references to TopShelf Exotic Bulls / @topshelf_exotic_bulls concern its publicly presented role in the breeder/show community and promotion of this event. This petition does not attribute medical conditions affecting individual dogs to that account or allege unlawful conduct by its operators without independent evidence.
The factual claims regarding genetics, extreme conformation, brachycephaly, French Bulldog disorder predisposition, Orange County animal-care operations, OC Fair & Event Center governance, and the December 5 event are based upon the veterinary, academic, peer-reviewed, governmental, event, and primary-source materials identified above.
The argument presented by this petition is that when scientific evidence demonstrates that deliberate selection for particular extreme physical characteristics can compromise canine health and normal function, a California public institution should not reward or commercially promote those characteristics without transparent and meaningful animal-welfare safeguards.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on September 8, 2026