Lucie Rychla
January 31st, 2017

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The number of dogs registered in the Danish capital has grown by nearly 50 percent in the past five years from 14,811 to 21,915, according to figures from the Danish Dog Register.

And the figure may be even higher as some owners do not register their furry pets to the authorities, even though it is obligatory.

“It is especially the small breeds that have become popular because they fit into small apartments,” said Jens Jokumsen, the chief consultant for family pets at animal right’s advocacy group, Dyrenes Beskyttelse.

Regitze Acacie, the founder of the dog school KøbenhavnerSnuden, has noticed the steep increase in dogs in the city and believes people buy them to get more exercise and to socialise with other canine lovers.

“Many young couples also get a dog before having a baby,” Acacie told Metroxpress.

“For me the best thing about having a dog is their unconditional love and that my son can learn to respect animals, nature and the world.”

READ MORE: Abandoned pets filling up Danish animal shelters

Put down and abandoned
According to the latest available data from Danmarks Statistik, some 880,000 families in Denmark own a pet, of which about 450,000 own one or more dogs.

In 2000, it was estimated there were about 550,000 dogs living in Denmark.

However, it seems that not all owners can handle the responsibility of caring for their four-legged friends.

Thousands of dogs are being put down annually, despite not having any physical problems, while many others end up on the streets or in animal shelters.