Sealyhams on the brink of extinction
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
The sealyham terrier, a traditional English dog breed once popular with celebrities and the aristocracy, is on the brink of extinction, breeders have warned. Only 49 rare sealyham puppies were registered with the Kennel Club last year, making them more rare than the giant panda.
Countrylife magazine has launched a campaign to save the breed, once a must-have for the well-heeled dog owner. Princess Margaret, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor all owned sealyhams, and Alfred Hitchcock appeared walking two of the dogs at the beginning of his film The Birds (1963). At the height of their popularity in the 1920s, 2,000 puppies were registeredannually.
Described by breeders as "a pet with character, confidence and humour", sealyhams were originally bred for badger- and otter-hunting on a Pembrokeshire estate in the mid-1800s.
Harry Parsons, founder of the Working Sealyham Terrier Club, said that the dogs still make excellent rat-catchers, and loyal companions. "The way they bond with their owners is almost magical," he told Countrylife. "You have to own one to see it and believe it."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments