THE COUNTRY'S BEST FRIEND
DOGS BEAT CATS AS THE MOST POPULAR PET IN THE UK
WE really are a nation of dog lovers, with more than a quarter of the UK population owning a pet pooch.
The Pet Population 2018 report from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) found that there were around nine million dogs owned by 26% of the population in 2017/18.
In comparison, there were only eight million pet cats across the UK owned by 18% of the population, proving dogs really are man’s best friend.
The PFMA report found that nearly half of all households in the UK own a pet.
Fish were the third-most popular pet, with three million indoor fish tanks and 1.3 million outdoor ponds across the UK.
Overall, households owned between 15 million and 20 million indoor fish and between 15 million and 21 million outdoor fish.
Rabbits followed, with 900,000 owned by families in the UK.
And 500,000 domestic fowl - more commonly known as chickens - were also kept as pets.
The same number of other types of pet bird were also owned by the UK population.
There were 400,000 guinea pigs and 300,000 hamsters living in our homes, too.
Of all the animals included in the report, the least popular animal to own was a pet mouse.
There were 50,000 of these rodents living in households across the UK in 2017/18.
Also less popular were the 100,000 frogs and toads and the 100,000 insects kept by families as pets.
There were also 200,000 pet snakes owned across the UK, by approximately 0.5% of all households.
It is estimated that domestic pets consumed £2.8 billion worth of food, with dogs eating the most (around £1.4 billion worth each year).
Paula Boyden, veterinary director at Dogs Trust, said: “We have long known that dogs are man’s best friend and it is positive to see an increase in the number of households with children also sharing their lives with dogs. “Owning a dog can have so many benefits for families and our hugely successful Be Dog Smart campaign is packed full of advice and information to ensure this harmonious relationship continues.”