ENGLISH SETTERS JOIN THE VULNERABLE NATIVE BREEDS. The Kennel Club Press Office did their job well and the press release headed English Setter Risks Extinction for the first time was over the top but it caught the eye of the National Papers, local news stations and the BBC. Local breeders were bombarded with requests from local radio stations to talk and BBC Breakfast featured Fran Grimsdell (of course she answered the question in a reassured sensible way and was helped by some of the canine variety Tattersetts). Well let’s look at the facts (which the press release also cited). The English Setter joins another twenty four breeds on the Kennel Club's Native Vulnerable Breeds (NVB) list. A breed is deemed at risk when less than 300 puppies are registered in a year. English Setters numbered 234 registrations last year a 33% decline on 2010. There has been a decline of almost two thirds in the number of English Setters to-day compared to ten years ago. The PR seems to be so certain that people are moving into buying Designer Dogs and in some instances maybe this is so. The Telegraph put in a pro British native breeds piece in which KC Secretary Caroline Kisko also blamed the trend for status dogs. The Guardian Pass Notes column also was horrified that people were deserting the Native British breeds so attractive in every way for breeds they felt had little appeal. One reason for the lack of English Setter puppies is that most well known English Setter breeders have strong lists of prospective buyers but only a limited number of puppies to fulfill their orders with sometimes small litters or bitches missing. Another reason is the English Setter is not the dog for every family home and most breeders are very responsible and careful to whom they sell. This reflects in the fact why very few of the breed need to be re-homed. Jenny Penna runs a very good Rescue service and is fortunately not overwhelmed. A salient point is VNB's do not lose CCs of which we have been doing of late. This is good because if the ideal English Setter purchaser wanted to go to a show and see the breed, with no class's there would be no dogs to look at. The latest to lose CCs is Blackpool which always drew a good entry and serviced a part of the country that is isolated. I wonder if the Canine Activities Dept that works out the Breeds CC allocation have gone to check breeds that are moving near NVB status and held back removing the CCs until they have the full years figures. Not in the case though of English Setters but maybe they will now. The KC can move fast at times. At the Kennel Club the Health & Breeder Services Dept compile the Breed Registration lists from the KC Data Base. Now we may have a change of Stud Book Bands. English Setters were Band D and now might go down to Band C or lower and this has a change for KCSB Qualifications and also for the number of 'hands’ on dogs for the Judges of A3 & B & C lists. This means more work for the overworked Joint ES Breed Clubs Joint Judges Committee and because they have to save money due to the current financial climate more work for the Clubs underpaid club officials. Valerie Foss President English Setter Association