Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
William Mata

General election 2024: your best dogs at polling stations photos

Luna (Person) Basil Doug Sadiq Khan Scarlett

As millions of Brits head to the polls to vote on election day, pets are also playing their part in the occasion with #dogsatpollingstations once again trending on social media.

The modern phenomenon of people sharing pics of their dogs (and the occasional cat, guinea pig or rabbit) on Twitter and beyond has taken hold on Thursday for the general election.

The internet has been flooded with great images of pets since the polls opened at 7am with celebrities and even politicians getting involved. Londoners too are sharing the puppy love — perhaps with even more excitement in Barking and Battersea, if not Catford.

As of 9am, #dogsatpollingstations was the second highest trending search term - behind only #generalelection2024, prompting one Twitter user to comment: “This is so British!”

Here are the rules for what you can and cannot do with your dog in and around a polling station.

Here are some of the best photos from the internet or kindly sent in to us.

Don’t forget your voter ID

All voters are urged to avoid Boris Johnson’s mistake and bring a valid form of ID.

Could the rule stretch to dogs as well? Some owners are taking no chances!

“He’ll need to take his vaccination certificate as proof if the tag on his collar isn’t good enough,” was one overheard comment in Walthamstow.

“Coalition of chaos”: Here are some labradors

The term so often branded about by Theresa May to describe a Labour-led government has not been part of the Tory rhetoric this time — but it might perfectly describe these two labradors.

These two labradors below, one retired and one working guide dog, are less chaotic - however - and are on duty to help their owner.

Continuing the theme, here are Knut & Maisie, five year old brother and sister labradors.

Owner Sue Simpson brought them along with her to the Memorial Hall in Plaxtol, Kent.

Maisie and Knut are brother and sister but not the same colour (Sue Simpson / Submitted)

And it’s a happy birthday to Teddy, who has recently turned three. His owners Andy and Jane extended his walk to vote in Sutton Craven, West Yorkshire.

Teddy at the polling station in Sutton, west Yorkshire (User submitted)

Smiles and sadness

Rajni Aldridge shared this picture of his dog Wilby showing his enthusiasm for voting in Barnes where the Lib Dems are hoping to win.

Wilby looks delighted...

Here’s our 6 year old Havanese, Wilby, showing his enthusiasm for voting in Barnes! (Rajni Aldridge / submitted)

But the same cannot be said for Remy, here, who must have a case of voter apathy.

Remy at the election (David Lamb / submitted)

Voting intentions

Aparajita in Pimlico has sent us this picture of her dog Toni.

“He is a mixed-breed rescue from Romania, and is therefore pro-EU and pro-immigration,” she said of Toni.

He is wearing red as well and will be anxiously waiting for the exit poll.

Toni waits at the polling booth (User submitted / Aparajita)

Less partisan is Maple the Dachshund here - her expression giving nothing away, like a true politician.

Maple the dachshund at the polling station this morning (April Atkin / submitted)

Separation anxiety

Hari the cockapoo was kept company as his owner went to vote.

This is the latest entry to the very photogenic canine’s Instagram page.

High five for voting

Scarlett celebrated this win for democracy with her retriever.

Assisted voting?

Being carried to the polling booth is a luxury not afforded to all but one that Pete’s retriever (other dog types do exist despite the bias of this list …) has come to enjoy.

A Luna eclipse

Being Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan is not standing to be an MP but he’s out to vote with his dog, Luna.

First-time voter

Sky at the polling station in Bedfordshire (Kathleen Eggins / submitted)

Five-year-old rescue dog Sky (from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home) is taking part in her first general election.

It seems her owner, Kathleen, is keen to encourage the importance of voting from a young age.

The same is true of Arnie (below) in Plymouth, according to his owner Janina.

First time voter Arnie at the polling station in Plymouth (Janina Smietanka / user submitted)

All smiles

Ellie the 12 year old ex-racing greyhound at Meanwood Community Centre polling station in Leeds (Cassie Ulph / submitted)

Ellie the greyhound, in Leeds, looks delighted to be taking in the polling station on her morning walk.

Basil waits patiently for his chance to vote (Talia Burrows / submitted)

Basil the cockapoo smiled to owner Talia Burrows outside a polling station in Richmond.

But happiest of the lot might be Soufflé at her polling station in Westminster - as sent in by Perdi Stoller.

Soufflé at her polling station in Westminster (Perdi Stoller / Submitted)

What a name!

With no shade to the Basils and Ellies of the dog world - behold the regally named Murphy Guinness Franklin-Harris.

The sprocker spaniel made his way to Hampstead Heath polling station with his owner Rachel Franklin

Murphy looking excited about voting (Rachel Franklin / submitted)

Doug at a polling station

And finally, here is a Doug at a polling station. This cool dude even has sunglasses for the occasion.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
All the celebrities that have supported Blake Lively after Justin Baldoni lawsuit
Lively has received a huge amount of support after filing the lawsuit against Baldoni
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Where’s Santa? Here’s how to track his journey this Christmas Eve
NORAD’s Santa Tracker website launched this year on December 1
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Gen Z’s politics are hard to categorize – and a harbinger of a new political order
The great clashes to come will be less between left and right than between those inside and outside a dying establishment
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Bianca Jagger feels 'empowered' in suits
Bianca Jagger was always drawn to wearing suits because she wanted to feel "powerful" like her father.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
‘A long-distance hug’: readers and gen Z on the joy – and expense – of sending Christmas cards
Sales of Christmas cards are down as soaring price of stamps means many people opt for digital festive greetings
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Interactive: What Earth’s 4.54 billion-year history would look like in a single year
As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as a geologist, I think one of the best ways to understand our planet’s history and evolution is by condensing the entire timeline into a single…
The Conversation
The Conversation
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play