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Polling station pooches lift spirits in UK election

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Alsatians, poodles, pinschers and pugs lined up at Britain's polling stations on Thursday as thousands of voters brought their canine companions to take part in the general election.

Pet owners took to Twitter to post photographs of their dogs next to the polling station signs at schools and community centres across the country, using the hashtag #dogsatpollingstations.

Among the 8,000 pets posted were Gina the Porkie, Bruno the Staffy and a Bichon Frise wearing the colours of the Suffragette movement that won women the right to vote.

Britons brought the dogs out as they headed to polling stations for a general election
Britons brought the dogs out as they headed to polling stations for a general election
Lindsey Parnaby, AFP

The meme provided light relief from a frequently tetchy election campaign to decide who will lead Britain's Brexit talks, current Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May or Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

"There may have been so many elections recently that we are getting a bit fatigued by it all," said The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"However, there is one thing we Brits will never tire of, and that is taking photographs of our pet dogs at polling stations and posting them online."

Not to be outdone, other animal lovers brought along their horses, rats, tortoises and also set up the rival #catsatpollingstations, with feline visitors to the polling booth posted on Twitter.

The Charity Dogs Trust urged owners to bring their dogs to the "paw-ing station" and called upon vote volunteers to "pop a water bowl outside and keep it topped up with water for any visiting pooches".

Alsatians, poodles, pinschers and pugs lined up at Britain’s polling stations on Thursday as thousands of voters brought their canine companions to take part in the general election.

Pet owners took to Twitter to post photographs of their dogs next to the polling station signs at schools and community centres across the country, using the hashtag #dogsatpollingstations.

Among the 8,000 pets posted were Gina the Porkie, Bruno the Staffy and a Bichon Frise wearing the colours of the Suffragette movement that won women the right to vote.

Britons brought the dogs out as they headed to polling stations for a general election

Britons brought the dogs out as they headed to polling stations for a general election
Lindsey Parnaby, AFP

The meme provided light relief from a frequently tetchy election campaign to decide who will lead Britain’s Brexit talks, current Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May or Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“There may have been so many elections recently that we are getting a bit fatigued by it all,” said The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

“However, there is one thing we Brits will never tire of, and that is taking photographs of our pet dogs at polling stations and posting them online.”

Not to be outdone, other animal lovers brought along their horses, rats, tortoises and also set up the rival #catsatpollingstations, with feline visitors to the polling booth posted on Twitter.

The Charity Dogs Trust urged owners to bring their dogs to the “paw-ing station” and called upon vote volunteers to “pop a water bowl outside and keep it topped up with water for any visiting pooches”.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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