Dogs at polling stations: Brighton and Sussex owners take pups to vote

Pooches of all shapes and sizes headed down to sites across the county as residents cast their votes for who they want to be the next councillors.

As well as the important task of picking who leads local governments in Sussex, dog owners snapped a picture of their pups outside the polling stations to celebrate their vote.

Pea the Romanian Rescue (Image: Joy Elliot)

One reader, Joy Elliot, snapped her small pooch, Pea, outside Hove Town Hall on Thursday morning.

Pea, a three-year-old Romanian Rescue, stood patiently outside the building while their owner took a picture.

MOST READ:

• Travel blogger furious after being sold £12 glass of wine
• Man found hanged in city park, court hears
• Sea Lanes Brighton unveils grand opening date

Elsewhere in the city, Airedale Terrier Raffles sat outside West Hill Community Centre in Hastings waiting for the local election action.

Raffles was joined by owner Clare Bowskill who headed in to cast her vote while her pup waited outside.

Raffles the Airedale Terrier (Image: Clare Bowskill)

Back in Brighton, one Sussex Police officer helped out a member of the public by dog sitting while they voted at the Brighthelm centre.

PC Tilley helpfully kept hold of the pug while on patrol near the polling station allowing its owner to pop in and take part in the election.

PC Tilley with a pug (Image: Sussex Police)

Other dogs spotted in Brighton and Sussex included Bosco, a miniature schnauzer who sat at Hove Rugby Club waiting for his owner to vote, and another pup tied to a bollard in Hassocks.

Apart from assistance dogs, pooches are famously not allowed in polling stations. Many owners are forced to leave the pets outside while they cast their vote in the elections.

Bosco the Mini Schnauzer (Image: The Argus)

As a result, many pups have gone viral in recent years as they pose for photos outside the polling stations across Brighton, Sussex and the UK.

Residents headed to the polls today to cast their vote in the local council elections with results expected later today.

Brighton and Hove City Council is being hotly contested between all of the major political parties joined by a stream of independent candidates.