Kennel Club warns on extinction risk
The Kennel Club has warned that the English Setter is at risk of extinction for the first time after a shift in fashions away from Native Vulnerable Breeds and towards more exotic animals. The English Setter is one of Britain's oldest native breeds, but it is currently in dramatic decline. Only 234 animals were registered with the Kennel Club last year, which was a decline of 33% on 2010's figure and a decline of almost two-thirds compared to ten years ago.
The English Setter now joins another 24 breeds on the Kennel Club's Native Vulnerable Breeds list. A breed qualifies for such status when less than 300 puppies are registered in a year. Last year around 3000 dogs were registered across all 25 designated Native Vulnerable Breeds. As a standard of comparison, 1940 Siberian Huskies were registered in the same period.
By contrast, dog breeds such as the Chihuahua are booming due to the influence of celebrities such as Paris Hilton. More than 6000 long and short coated chihuahuas were registered in 2011, a figure which is up a quarter on 2010.
Commenting, Kennel Club Secretary Caroline Kisko said “Celebrities, popular culture and fashion play a big part in today’s society and unfortunately, dogs are not immune from our fickle tastes. The latest victim is the English Setter, a wonderful and loyal breed, while the number of Siberian Huskies have more than trebled in this county in the last 10 years. This unfortunately is reflected in the growing number of exotic breeds seen coming in to our breed rescue societies, as people realise that they can’t give them the exercise, grooming or other care that they need.
Happily, exposure in the media may have had a positive effect for at least one Native Vulnerable Breed. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi, a close relation to the Pembroke Welsh Corgi which is famously a favourite of HM The Queen, saw a boom in registrations last year when registrations shot up 134%. The increase is attributed to the 'Royal Wedding Effect'.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
