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Everyone chill out, Corgis are not becoming endangered

Everyone chill out, Corgis are not becoming endangered
Thelife2 min read

corgi family portrait best

Flickr/Krispy Krumb

"We love you."

This week, Britain's Kennel Club released a press statement that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi - the internet's favorite dog - is "at risk of disappearing from our parks and streets."

The breed was official listed as "vulnerable" after only 274 Corgis were registered with the Kennel Club in 2014, a 16% drop from the previous year. To get on the list, breed registrations must dip below 300 registrations with the association.

Everyone collectively freaked out.

This is not the first time the Corgi has been considered threatened. In 2013, the Kennel Club also put Corgis on its "vulnerable native breeds" list. Back then, only 241 Pembroke Welsh Corgis were registered in 2012.

The Kennel Club blamed the breeds' association with the elderly on its decline in popularity, particularly their most famous fan Queen Elizabeth, who has owned more than 30 corgis throughout her reign.

Ironically, a recent Sunday Express article reported that the Queen will not be getting any new corgis since she fears tripping over them.

But while it does not look good for the Pembroke Welsh Corgi's popularity in England, rest assured that the opposite is true here in the US.

corgi staring into camera

William Wei, Business Insider

"Unlike the UK, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi continues to be very popular in the United States," Hillary Prim, the Public Relations Director for the American Kennel Club, told Business Insider. "Its happy, agreeable nature and adaptability have perhaps played a role in the breed staying consistent at the 24th most popular spot in the US over the past decade (plus or minus a spot or two from time to time)."

The American Kennel Club told us that over 5,000 corgis were registered in the US in 2013 (2014 figures are not yet available), which does not even take into account Corgi mixed-breeds or dogs not voluntarily registered with the organization.

"The UK cited breed misconceptions as a factor in the breed's decline, and this is conceivable," Prim told us. "To the naked eye, the Corgi's short legs and sturdy body may lead you to think he is a low-energy couch potato. In fact, Corgis are happy, energetic, active dogs that make great pets for a diverse range of owners, particularly those who can keep him moving."

Long live the Corgi.

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