‘Instagram-unfriendly’ dogs being abandoned

Dogs “too ugly for Instagram” are swamping animal shelters around Britain, a survey has revealed.

Centres report the three most common types of dogs they are receiving are Staffordshire bull terriers, akitas and greyhounds.

Of the 514 shelters surveyed by dogsblog.com, the rehoming website, and Direct Line, a pet insurer, 55 per cent said the rise of Instagram celebrity animals, such as French bulldogs and pugs, were behind the shift. Ryan O’meara, site co-founder, said: “Celebrities or the Instagram culture make some breeds more fashionable than others.”