Who is Isis the Downton dog and what has ITV done with her?

The fate of Isis, the dog on Downton Abbey not the Middle East terror group, has been the question on everyone's (well, a few people's) lips this week amid rumours she is set to be killed off just because of her name.

Isis was spotted in last night's show feeling rather poorly and lolling around the carpet as the main characters discussed her health.

Although ITV executives have dismissed the rumours and highlighted the fact that Isis was named in 2011, before the Sunni militant group gained in notoriety, that has not stopped some commentators feeling really rather annoyed at the situation.

Headlines have been written...

Comments have been furiously typed...

Some even seem concerned that the actual dog will be killed in actual real life...

ITV remains tight-lipped on the fate of the dog. Speaking to the Independent, a spokesperson refused to confirm or deny whether the dog would be killed off.

However, here's everything we currently know about Isis (the dog that is):

• Isis is played by an acting dog called, conveniently enough, Abbie. She was previously played by a dog called Ellie (season two).

• Abbie will not actually be killed in real life. ITV does not have a policy of euthanising dog actors.

• The dog has her own Facebook fan page, with over 3,000 likes.

i100 has posed a number of questions to the company that runs the PR for Downton Abbey.

What happens to the dog when/if she is killed off? Does she have another acting job she can turn to if she is sacked? Are the script writers planning to bring any other dogs into the programme? Can't she just be re-named instead of being CRUELLY euthanised, please, ITV, PLEASE?

More as we get it.

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