ABSTRACT
This book has taken the reader on the first stage of what we hope is a much longer and deeper journey into the complex world of brachycephalism in companion animals. This concluding chapter begins with a summary of the key points and recommendations from the world-leading authors across the earlier chapters. The importance of viewing brachycephalic issues from an array of perspectives is emphasised to gain a fuller perspective. The second section of this concluding chapter weaves the threads from each of the preceding 19 chapters into a series of thought-provoking commentaries on a wider range of challenges and opportunities relating to brachycephaly. These commentaries highlight that, as a human-created phenomenon, the brachycephalic crisis requires solutions that focus on human behaviour. This chapter ends with a note of optimism that it may be possible to resolve the brachycephalic crisis based on consensus, provided that an alliance of the willing can be formed where disparate stakeholders work together to develop effective strategies for lasting and meaningful changes. Otherwise, it may require non-consensus approaches such as enacted legislation to ensure that welfare progress is prioritised.
