The Sussex Spaniel: A WWII Survivor Still Fighting

The Sussex Spaniel is a long, low-to-the-ground sporting dog instantly recognizable by its rich, golden-liver coat and sorrowful expression. They were developed in Sussex, England, to flush game through dense, heavy underbrush. Unlike most spaniels, the Sussex is known for barking—or “giving tongue”—while on the scent, allowing hunters to track their location through thick fields.

The breed almost disappeared entirely during World War II. During this time, strict food rationing made dog breeding nearly impossible. It is widely documented that an English breeder named Joy Freer single-handedly saved the breed from total extinction. She managed to keep a small pack of surviving dogs alive throughout the war, and today, all modern Sussex Spaniels descend from the handful of dogs she preserved. Despite this miraculous survival story, the Sussex remains extremely rare, rarely seeing more than a few dozen registrations a year.