And now for some shocking news: The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is now being considered a “vulnerable breed” in Britain.
According to the BBC, the British Kennel Club put the adorable breed on their vulnerable list after only 274 new corgi puppies were registered in the United Kingdom in 2014. “Any breed that has fewer than 300 registrations in a year, we classify as being vulnerable,” said Caroline Kisko from the Kennel Club.
So what does “vulnerable” mean exactly? Well, according to Kisko, it means the breed’s numbers are going down because Corgis are no longer a breeder’s number one choice. Kiosk estimates that there are about 5,000 Corgis left in the United Kingdom. “Breeders are not breeding as many because they’re worried there are not enough homes to sell to, and from a genetic point of view it also means their gene pool can drop, and that can have consequences for any breed in terms of their future breed health,” Kisko explained.
At one time, the Welsh Corgi was a popular choice, especially with Queen Elizabeth, who at once owned five. However, it was announced last week that the Queen would no longer be housing dogs. Unfortunately, the dog is thought of as an “older person’s pet,” so young people are not gravitating towards the breed, which would explain why breeders are cutting back.
The Cardigan Welsh Corgi joins 25 other native breeds on the Kennel Club’s vulnerable list, including the: Ottohound, Smooth Collie, Mastiff and Deerhound.
Do you own a Welsh Corgi?
