Polling station pooches lift spirits in 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.

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".