NEW YORK — The U.S. still has a major case of French bulldog fever, but a very different breed is staunchly chasing dog lovers’ hearts, according to American Kennel Club statistics released March 12.

For the third year in a row, the comical, controversial Frenchie tops the club’s annual rundown of the nation’s most prevalent purebred dogs.

Frenchies are followed by Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles and some other longtime favorites.

Yet keep an eye on the cane corso. The powerful, protective breed vaulted from nearly 50th to 14th in the rankings in just a decade.

Popularity is seen as a mixed blessing among dog breeders and as an outright scourge by their critics.

Some animal welfare activists say the AKC rankings drive fads that fuel puppy mills.

The AKC says the list documents, not promotes, dog-ownership trends, and the nonprofit club notes that it conducts thousands of breeder and pet store inspections per year.

— The Associated Press