Golden Retrievers were the most popular pets in Ireland last year, according to a pet insurance company.
The list by PetInsurance.ie puts small Mongrel (mix of three breeds) in second place, falling from first position in 2020.
Other popular dogs in 2021 were Labradors is third place, Medium Mongrels (mix of three breeds) in fifth place, Cockerpoos in at number 6, and Jack Russels 7th.
Cats made their mark in the rankings too - coming in at number 4 (down one place from 2020).
PetInsurance.ie also reported a 33% increase in policy sales for 2021, demonstrating a huge growth in Irish pet ownership as a result of the pandemic.
Golden Retrievers climb up a place
Popular pet names
Some 85% of all new policy sales in 2021 were for dogs, with the most popular dog name being Bailey, followed by Luna and Bella.
The most popular names for cats in 2021 were Luna, Loki and Milo.
Other top 10 names for dogs and cats included Teddy, Alfie, Archie, Oscar, Millie, Lily and Daisy.
Karen McCullough, Head of Pet Insurance.ie commented,
The 2021 trends are demonstrating further growth in pet ownership in Ireland. More people are opening their homes to pets than ever before, which is one positive from the pandemic.
More here on the latest for Waterford.