EXCLUSIVE: The Huge Legal Move That Could Spark Ban on Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Pet Breed
Queen Elizabeth's beloved corgis could face an uncertain future in Britain.
March 5 2026, Published 3:19 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal the late Queen Elizabeth's beloved corgis – once treated as members of the royal family – could face an uncertain future under a proposed legal framework that campaigners warn may effectively ban the late monarch's favorite breed from being bred in Britain.
The debate has erupted after a group of British MPs unveiled a new assessment designed to determine whether dogs are healthy enough to be bred.
Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 30 corgis and dorgis throughout her 70-year reign.
The system – a 10-point visual checklist known as the innate health assessment – aims to eliminate breeding practices that produce physical traits linked to chronic pain or long-term health problems. But critics say the criteria could place as many as 67 popular breeds at risk of being deemed unhealthy, including the Welsh corgi, the dachshund, the Scottish terrier, and the shih tzu.
Elizabeth, who died aged 96 in 2022, famously owned more than 30 Pembroke Welsh corgis and corgi-dachshund mixes known as dorgis during her lifetime.
New Welfare Checklist Targets Extreme Physical Traits
Beverley Cuddy claimed the late Queen would have been very upset by the breeding restrictions.
Animal welfare advocates said the new proposal reflects growing concern about exaggerated physical characteristics in pedigree dogs.
Under the checklist, traits such as short noses, flat faces, bulging eyes, excessive skin folds, dropping eyelids, and extremely short legs would be considered indicators of potential suffering.
A key measure focuses on ground clearance – dogs whose chest sits less than one third of their height above the ground could be classified as unhealthy, a standard critics say could capture dwarf breeds like the corgi. Opponents argue the approach risks eliminating entire breeds based purely on appearance rather than veterinary evidence.
Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today magazine and founder of the Union of Good Dog People, warned the policy could have dramatic consequences for Britain's dog lovers.
She said: "We need proper, nuanced tests that don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, or we're going to lose Britain's most beloved breeds in the blink of an eye. It's going to be the most shocking thing to happen to dog lovers in this country."
Cuddy added: "People will rightly be outraged at being told they can't have the dogs they want. It's madness. I think the late Queen would have been very upset."
Proposal May Become Mandatory Within Five Years
The Welsh Corgi League defended the breed as historically healthy despite its short-legged appearance.
The checklist was introduced by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare and is currently voluntary, though campaigners say it is expected to become mandatory within five years if incorporated into legislation.
Supporters say the system would strengthen existing animal welfare protections. The Animal Welfare Act already prohibits breeding dogs that are suffering, but regulators say local authorities lack clear guidelines for determining when physical traits are harmful. The proposed tool aims to standardize that judgment.
Dan O'Neill, associate professor of companion animal epidemiology at the U.K.'s Royal Veterinary College, which helped develop the assessment, said: "In 10 years' time there will not be a single dog bred in the UK by a licensed breeder that has any extreme conformation."
Under the framework, dogs would require a health score of at least eight out of ten to be bred legally. The threshold would rise to nine within five years and ultimately to ten.
Corgi Defenders Warn Beloved Breeds Could Be Targeted
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Andrew Windsor and Sarah Ferguson battled over the custody of the Queen's final two corgis, Muick and Sandy.
Opponents argue the system is too simplistic and risks penalizing historically healthy breeds. Margaret Hoggarth, secretary of the Welsh Corgi League, defended the dogs associated so strongly with the late monarch.
She said: "They are trying to say any dogs with a certain look are unhealthy, but anybody who has worked with corgis knows they are a very healthy breed."
The Kennel Club has also raised concerns about the assessment's methodology.
A spokesman said: "The tool is neither nuanced nor robust enough to effectively support breeders in producing dogs of more moderate conformation."
The spokesman added: "In addition, we have highlighted specific concerns regarding some criteria... which we believe could have unintended consequences."
After she died in 2022, Elizabeth's last two corgis, Muick and Sandy, were adopted by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, who RadarOnline.com has revealed are now battling over "custody" of the pets.
