[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
You’ll Be ‘Mutts’ About These:
Royal Mail Launches a Set of Paw-Some Special Stamps

• A set of 10 stamps featuring images of some of the nation’s favourite dog breeds
• Dogs featured: Dalmatian; Jack Russell-type Terrier; Labrador Retriever; Border Collie; Whippet; Siberian Husky; Chihuahua; Cocker Spaniel; Pembroke Welsh Corgi; and Pug
• The stamps and a range of collectible products are available from 6 June at www.royalmail.com/dogs and by telephone on 03457 641641

Royal Mail on June 6 launched a paw-some set of 10 stamps featuring delightful images of some of the nation’s favourite dog breeds.

The stamps show: a Dalmatian; Jack Russell-type Terrier; Labrador Retriever; Border Collie; Whippet; Siberian Husky; Chihuahua; Cocker Spaniel; Pembroke Welsh Corgi; and Pug.

Dogs have shared our lives for thousands of years – working, hunting, guarding and providing companionship. Many different breeds evolved and were developed over the centuries, from the very smallest to the largest and shaggiest, from the bravest to the fastest, but regardless of type, dogs have remained loving and loyal. More people around the world own a dog than any other pet, and a third of households in the UK have one.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “British people are known for their love of animals, and especially dogs. We hope that these beautiful stamps will bring added joy when they drop through people’s letterboxes on cards and letters – and remind our customers to place their cherished dog in another room when opening the door to collect mail from their postie!”

Royal Mail worked with animal expert Tamsin Pickeral on the stamp issue. Tamsin is also author of The Dog: 5,000 Years Of The Dog in Art and The Spirit of the Dog.

Did you know?

• Dogs and Wolves share 99.9% of their genes.
• The earliest undisputed dog on record is a dog found in a grave with its owners that lived 14,000 years ago in Germany.
• There are approximately 12 million dogs in the UK (Statista April 24)
• One third of UK households own a dog (Statista April 2024)
• The first medal to recognise bravery of an animal was awarded by Our Dumb Friends League (now Blue Cross) to a dog called La Cloche who, on 24 July 1940, dived into the sea to save his owner. His owner was a French mariner who could not swim and went into the sea after their ship was torpedoed off the UK coast. (Guinness World Records)
• The world’s oldest known breed of domesticated dog is the Saluki, which can be traced back to 329 BC. (Guinness World Records)
• Depending on the breed or type a dog’s sense of smell is around 10,000-100,000 times better than ours. (Purina)
• The Labrador retriever had the most UK Kennel Club registrations in 2023.

Royal Mail’s Dog Awareness Week will take place between 1-7 July 2024.

A dog’s life
The relationship between dogs and humans can be traced back tens of millennia. At one burial site in Germany, for example, dog and human remains from around 14,000 years ago were found together, suggesting that dogs had been domesticated by at least this time. Fossil evidence from Belgium indicates that the evolution of the dog – from an ancestor of the grey wolf and other wild canids – was happening around 31,000 years ago.

Over this vast expanse of time, dogs became an essential part of daily life, helping to hunt for food, pulling sleds, reducing vermin and providing companionship. Breeds or types evolved and were developed to be uniquely suited to their environment and roles – the sleek, fast sighthounds, for example, or the strong, tough Spitz-types. As people recognised the working abilities of their dogs, they began to breed them specifically to retain these characteristics.

The first dog shows were held in the 19th century, which led, in 1873, to the founding of the Kennel Club to govern contests and field trials. The Kennel Club now holds the register of pedigree dogs in the UK, and regulates all breed standards, with breeds assigned to seven different categories based on their original roles: Gundog, Hound, Pastoral, Terrier, Toy, Utility and Working. With welfare and best breeding practices in mind, the Kennel Club established the Assured Breeders Scheme, the only such scheme in the UK. All breeders in this scheme have been inspected and carry out vital breed-specific health testing and screening, to ensure that puppies are the healthiest they can be.

The stamps, and a range of collectible products, are available at www.royalmail.com/dogs and by telephone on 03457 641 641.

Postal Products:
AE472: First Day Envelope: £0.30
AF516: First Day Cover with Tallents House Postmark: £13.85
AP537: Presentation Pack: £11.90
AQ353: Postcards: £4.50
AS11500: Stamp Set: £11.00
AS11500AFS: Full Sheet 2nd Class x 50: £42.50
AS11500AHS: Half Sheet 2nd Class x 25: £21.25
AS11500BFS: Full Sheet 1st Class x 50: £67.50
AS11500BHS: Half Sheet 1st Class x 25: £33.75
AT157: Collectors Sheet [right]: £12.20
AW268: Stamp Souvenir: £13.85
N3364: Framed Collectors Sheet: £34.99
N3365: Framed Stamps: £34.99

Technical Details:
Design: Royal Mail Group Ltd
Acknowledgements: Dalmatian, Border Collie and Siberian Husky by Jane Burton/Warren Photographic Ltd; Jack Russell-type Terrier and Labrador Retriever by Mark Taylor/Warren Photographic Ltd; Whippet © FLPA/Alamy Stock Photo; Chihuahua © Life on White/Getty Images; Cocker Spaniel © Life on White/Alamy Stock Photo; Pembroke Welsh Corgi © YAY Media AS/Alamy Stock Photo; Pug © petographer/Alamy Stock Photo
Stamp Format: Square
Number per sheet: 25/50
Stamp Size: 35mm x 35mm
Printer : Cartor Security Printers
Print Process: Lithography
Phosphor: Bars as appropriate
Perforations: 14.5 x 14.5
Gum: PVA