A DOG breeder from Felsted fears her favourite breed, which is as rare as the Giant Panda, could be about to die out.

New registration figures published by the Kennel Club, reveal that only 63 registrations were made of Irish Red and White Setters in 2016, the lowest in more than 30 years.

Shelagh Walton, of Felsted, wants to reverse this trend before the breed disappears from the UK completely.

She said: "The reason that Irish Red and White Setters are in decline is that people simply don’t know they exist.

"The breed has always had that problem, which is such a shame because they are truly lovely dogs so we hope we can encourage more people to consider them as an option when choosing which breed might be right for their lifestyle.

“We need to find ways that we can protect the breed or they won’t be around for future generations to enjoy.

"They are a friendly, affectionate and intelligent breed and we would implore people to consider them when choosing a dog to help give them the future they deserve."

In the first quarter of 2017, registrations dropped 90 percent and the breed is now on the Kennel Club's list of 29 vulnerable native British and Irish breeds.

Shelagh said: “We hope that interest in the breed picks up and gives one of our native British and Irish breeds a revival before it is too late."

Visit www.irishredandwhitesetterclub.com.