Data reveals UK regions with most dogs

The UK is home to 13 million dogs, four million higher than previously thought, new research reveals.

Analysis from Dogs Trust, who joined forces with scientists from the Universities of Leeds and Exeter to combine and analyse data from 18 sources, reveals that 83% of the UK’s dogs are located in England.

In comparison, 9.1% are in Scotland, 5.8% are in Wales, and 2.1% are located in Northern Ireland.

Breaking the numbers down by region, the researchers found that Telford tops the list, with 8.2 dogs per 20 people.

This is followed by Darlington (8 per 20 people), Harrogate (7.4), Swansea (7.4), Llandrindod Wells (7.2), and Sunderland (7.2).

In contrast, Londoners are the least likely to own a dog. East London has just one dog per 20 people, followed by West Central London (1.2), West London (1.4), South West London (1.4), and North London (1.4).

Dr Kirsten McMillan, Deputy Head of Research at Dogs Trust, said: “The UK is well known for being a nation of dog lovers, but it turns out we may have significantly underestimated how many dogs are out there by over four million.”

She added: “This inaccuracy can have serious implications as it affects important statistics like how many dogs of different breeds or sizes live in certain regions, how the dog population grows each year, and the overall trends in dog ownership.”

The spread of dogs by breed could be addressed in future studies, the researchers said.