Barking tops dog owners' league

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6506829.stm

More than one in 10 households in Barking, east London, has a dog, Experian's dog ownership report shows.

An Experian spokesman said working class suburban areas tend to have higher dog ownership.

"Suburbia owners have more pitbulls, Alsatians and rottweilers," he said. "While inner city residents favoured smaller dogs."

More space

Spaniels and Labradors were more prevalent in less built-up areas, the survey of London's local authorities showed.

Barking and Dagenham Council had 8,579 dog owners for 75,108 households, giving it an average of 11.42% ownership.

"It would seem that areas with high dog ownership include rural locations and also suburban areas with higher numbers of poorer and working class residents," said the spokesman.

Central London councils Westminster, Camden, and Kensington and Chelsea had the lowest levels of dog ownership.