Regional trends in pet ownership
Petlog, the UK's largest lost and found database for microchipped pets, has released findings about regional trends in animal ownership.
Most notably, the database found that those from the north are bigger dog lovers and those from the south are bigger cat lovers.
The research was conducted as part of National Microchipping Month, which is run by Petlog every June, and has done so for 10 years.
It found that 65 per cent of pet owners in the north-east had a dog, compared with the national average 53 per cent, and 60 per cent of pet owners in the south-east had a cat, compared with the national average 54 per cent.
Owners living in the north-west, however, were most likely to be reunited with their pet if separated, as the region had the highest percentage of microchipped pets at 60 per cent.
Meanwhile, only about half of pets in the north-east were microchipped.
Petlog Executive Celia Walsom said: "The survey identified areas of the country that are most knowledgeable about microchipping and where there is a lack of awareness and knowledge, and now we need to see how we can improve this."
National Microchipping Month is aimed at raising the profile of microchipping and its benefits by educating pet owners about how it works, the need to keep contact details up to date, as well as how to make the most of the database.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
