The top dog breed in the UK in 2022, as measured by number of registrations, was the Labrador Retriever breed. Some 44,311 retrievers were newly registered in the UK in 2022. French Bulldogs and Cocker Spaniels rounded out the top three dog breeds in the UK that year.

Surge in UK dog registrations

In 2022, many dog breeds saw a decrease in registrations after large growth in 2021. Over 17 thousand fewer Labrador Retrievers were registered in 2022 than in 2021. Registrations of French Bulldogs and Cocker Spaniels also saw significant decreases in the UK that year.

UK pet food market

Europe and North America produce the most pet food worldwide. In 2022, Europe produced about 11.8 million metric tons of pet food. Though less pet food is produced in North America overall, the United States has the highest pet food revenue worldwide by far. The UK has the second highest revenue, reaching over 6.8 billion U.S. dollars that year.

IntroductionBusinesses commonly text mine Twitter data to identify patterns and extract valuable information. However, this method is rarely applied to the animal welfare sector. Here, we describe Twitter conversations regarding dogs during a global pandemic, assess the evolution of sentiment, and examine the dynamics of sector influence.MethodsBetween March and August 2020, we gathered 61,088 unique tweets from the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, relating to COVID-19 and dogs. Tweets were assigned to one of four pandemic phases and active accounts were assigned to a sector: Personal (i.e., UK and ROI public), Press (i.e., mass media), State (i.e., Government, Police, and NHS), and Other (i.e., welfare organizations, social enterprises, research organizations, charity, and business).ResultsWord frequency and sentiment analysis between phases and sectors were assessed, and cross correlation functions and lagged regressions were used to evaluate sector influence. Topical foci of conversations included: meat trade, separation anxiety and dog theft. Sentiment score remained stable until the last phase where sentiment decreased (F3, 78, 508 = 44.4, p < 0.001), representing an increased use of negative language. Sentiment differed between the four sectors (F3, 11, 794 = 52.2, p < 0.001), with Personal and Press accounts presenting the greatest use of negative language. Personal accounts were initially partly influenced by State accounts (R = −0.26; p = 0.05), however this altered to Press accounts by the last phase (R = −0.31; p = 0.02).DiscussionOur findings highlight that whilst Personal accounts may affect sector-specific messaging online, perhaps more importantly: language used, and sentiment expressed by Press, State and Other accounts may influence public perception. This draws attention to the importance of sector responsibility regarding accurate and appropriate messaging, as irresponsible/ill-considered comments or campaigns may impact future human-animal interaction.

IntroductionRaw-meat diets (RMD) for dogs, comprising unprocessed or non-heat-treated animal material, are increasingly popular. However, RMDs have been demonstrated to be contaminated with antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, and there is concern that such diets may pose a zoonotic disease risk. Additionally, dogs fed RMD may shed more AMR- fecal bacteria compared to those fed conventional cooked diets. Data from the UK remain limited; the present study investigated the presence of AMR-Escherichia coli in the feces of RMD and non-RMD (NRMD)-fed dogs in the UK, the E. coli AMR gene complement, and the lifestyle risk factors associated with AMR- E. coli carriage.MethodsFecal samples from UK-owned dogs (N = 193 RMD, N = 239 NRMD) and questionnaires discussing lifestyle factors, were obtained between October 2020-August 2021. Samples underwent culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to determine the presence of AMR-E. coli. Whole genome sequencing determined AMR gene carriage. Risk factors for the presence of AMR-E. coli were determined by multivariable modeling.ResultsRMD dogs carried significantly more fecal AMR E. coli (p < 0.001), including third-generation cephalosporin resistant, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing, and multidrug resistant isolates and multivariable modeling confirmed raw-meat diets to be a significant risk factor. The blaCTX–M–15 gene was the most frequently identified blaESBL gene. The blaCTX–M–55 and blaSHV–66 genes were also prevalent and were only found in RMD dogs. The mobile colistin resistance gene, mcr-4 was identified in one ESBL-producing E. coli isolate from a NRMD-fed dog.ConclusionThis study has shown that dogs fed RMD in the UK are significantly more likely to shed E. coli which is resistant to highest priority critically important antibiotics, and multidrug resistant E. coli, than dogs fed NRMD. Additionally, AMR-E. coli isolates from RMD-fed dogs harbor multiple, diverse, and novel AMR genes. Therefore, provision of RMD to dogs could pose an important potential threat to human and animal health, especially given the close nature of the relationship many owners share with their pets. Awareness of these findings should be shared with pet owners, veterinary and medical professionals, pet food manufacturers and public health to mitigate potential risks.

Two digital appendices for PhD thesis 'A Dog's Life: Interdisciplinary Study of Human-Animal Relationships in Roman Britain' by Lauren Bellis (2020, University of Leicester). Appendix D: Database of Secondary Bone Data (.xlsx)Appendix E: Database of Recorded Associated Bone Group (ABG) Data (.accdb*) * Recommended programs to open appendix: Microsoft Access, LibreOffice Base (free software), MDB Viewer Plus (free)