HC Deb 01 December 1982 vol 33 c205W
Mr. Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the present dog population; and how this figure compares with that of 10 years ago.

Mr. Giles Shaw

No firm information is available on the size of the present dog population. The 1976 report of the working party on dogs estimated that the total dog population of the United Kingdom probably amounted to more than 6 million. No comparable figure is available for 1972, but the joint advisory committee on pets in society estimated that the dog population of the United Kingdom in 1973 was 5.83 million.