Dogs Are Officially Crowned Britain's Favourite Pet, Poll Finds

Generally, us Brits fall into two brackets: dog lovers or cat lovers.

The question of which animal is better has laid ground for fierce debates, but now a new poll has settled which furry friend Brits prefer once and for all.

A study of 2,000 adults saw 51 per cent name man's best friend as their top animals, compared to just 38 per cent voting for felines.

The remaining 11 per cent voted for other animals, with robins, horses and hedgehogs making up the top five list.

The research was commissioned by Channel 5 to mark this week's episode of All Creatures Great and Small which aired on Tuesday at 9pm, finding 73 per cent of Brits considered themselves animal lovers.

Callum Woodhouse, who plays Tristan Farnon in Channel 5's new adaptation of the comedy remake, said: "I'm a huge dog lover. Any scene in All Creatures Great and Small where you see me with our Golden Retriever, that was me asking to have him in the scene with me as I adore him so much.

"There were five dogs I wanted to take home with me - Tricki Woo included.

"One of my favourite scenes was a close up of my face being licked to pieces by one of our gorgeous dogs. Heaven. I'm with the public on this one."

It may not come as a surprise that the study also found that more than seven out of 10 adults saw their pets as part of the family, with people citing the affection they give (55 per cent) and having their company (61 per cent) as the best things about them.

Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Herriot in Channel 5's new adaptation, said: "Surrounding ourselves with our furry, scaled and feathered friends, great and small, can bring us all great companionship.

"On set, there was a little Dachshund called Frank whose nickname was Frankems, he was so endearing, I would have loved to take him home.

"And then Tricki Woo too, a little fluff ball whose real name was Derek - he was very charming, but I think Frankems did it for me.

"I'd love a little dog but for me right now, the biggest hurdle is having the time."

The full list of Britain's favourite animals is as follows:

1. Dog
2. Cat
3. Robin
4. Horse
5. Hedgehog
6. Squirrel
7. Owl
8. Deer
9. Rabbit
10. Butterfly
11. Donkey
12. Golden Eagle
13. Fox
14. Puffin
15. Otter
16. Duck
17. Tortoise
18. Bee
19. Alpaca
20. Parrot
21. Blue tit
22. Pig
23. Turtle
24. Chicken
25. Cow
26. Sheep
27. Goat
28. Llama
29. Guinea Pig
30. HamsterFeatured Image Credit: Unsplash

Topics: Life News, Life, Animals

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance writer working for Tyla. After graduating with an English Lit and Media degree from the University of Sussex, Ciara held jobs at GLAMOUR and Yahoo Style before packing up for a solo travelling trip around South America.

@ciarasheppard