Europe’s prize dog owners are staying away from this year’s prestigious Crufts show because of a Brexit mix-up over rabies rules, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The Kennel Club says the number of continental dogs entered for this year’s championship has fallen by 12 per cent over fears that the Government might introduce tough new travel controls on pets from abroad following Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.

Hundreds of foreign owners missed the January 20 deadline to register their dog for next month’s four-day show of pedigree breeds.

Hundreds of foreign owners missed the January 20 deadline to register their dog for next month’s four-day show of pedigree breeds

The Government only clarified on January 27 – a week after the deadline – that pet travel rules would remain unchanged until the end of this year, when the UK and EU will negotiate additional arrangements. By then, it was too late to register foreign dogs.

Bill Lambert, spokesman for the Kennel Club which organises Crufts, said: ‘As with many areas of British life, the future movement of dogs across the Channel in a post-Brexit world was a concern ahead of Crufts and many dog owners could have been put off by the uncertainty.’

Kathleen Roosens, from Belgium, whose papillon called Dylan won Best in Show last year, said: ‘I think fewer Europeans entered Crufts this year entirely because of Brexit – nothing else.

‘Some people I spoke to feared their dogs needed rabies tests.’

The Government only clarified on January 27 – a week after the deadline – that pet travel rules would remain unchanged until the end of this year

Almost 20,000 dogs will compete at this year’s event, which begins on March 5 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, but just 3,171 of them will be from Europe – down from 3,611 last year.

It is the first significant fall for a decade and comes after steady growth since 2000 when pet passports were introduced, allowing dogs to enter the UK without six months spent in quarantine.

Italy is the European country with the highest number of entries this year with 366 dogs, although that figure is down 11 per cent on last year. France is second with 317 entries, down 19 per cent, and Germany is third with 289, an 11 per cent drop.

Almost 20,000 dogs will compete at this year’s event, which begins on March 5 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham

The biggest fall is from Sweden, with 164 entries this year compared to 265 last year – a decline of 38 per cent.

Organisers hope Boris Johnson, who with partner Carrie Symonds owns a Jack Russell rescue dog called Dilyn, will secure agreements with European Union countries to allow travel arrangements to continue.

Lady Fretwell, founder of the Passports For Pets pressure group, said: ‘We all hope the rules remain but there is no guarantee.’