PRESS RELEASE from British Heritage Dog Breeds

CRUFTS 2010 – It’s cool to be British!

Forget all those fancy and exotic foreign dog breeds. The message is clear: "if you want to be cool, get a British or Irish dog breed and preferably one of the really really rare ones which are in danger of disappearing".

Take for example the Sealyham Terrier, winner of last year's coveted Best in Show award at Crufts. This is a breed which was once much loved by Hollywood with owners including Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock and Betty Grable & Royalty – Princess Margaret owned two. In 2009 there were just 47 Sealyham puppies born. Compare this to the 45,000 Labradors per annum – that is 125 Lab pups EVERY DAY.

Last year, the worlds 2nd most important dog show, Westminster Kennel Club in New York, USA, was won by a Sussex Spaniel, a breed which can barely manage 60 puppies a year

However, enthusiasts of Britain’s very rarest indigenous dog breeds have decided it’s time to fight back.