ANIMAL-lovers in the Midlands are the 'most likely' to hold a memorial event for their beloved pets, a new study reveals.

The survey was carried out in the run up to national 'Pet Remembrance Day', which takes place on Wednesday, July 5.

Populus, which was commissioned by sculpture specialist Arty Lobster to carry out the poll, asked more than 2,000 adults how likely they are to hold a memorial event for a pet.

Amd pet owners living in the Midlands are far more likely compared to the rest of the UK to give a four-legged family member a ‘good send-off’, it found.

Thirty-five per cent of Midlanders, compared to just 19 per cent of people living in the North East and Wales, would hold a memorial event to remember a deceased pet, according to the study.

The next highest was Northern Ireland (30 per cent) followed by London (28 per cent), Yorkshire (27 per cent) and the South East and Scotland (each on 24 per cent).

Lars B Andersen, CEO of Arty Lobster, said: “These are interesting results and tell us that people in the Midlands have a soft side.

"These days, pets are increasingly regarded as members of the family and more people than ever want to commemorate their lives and the important part they have played in enhancing family life."

On national Pet Remembrance Day, a Twitter chat will take place using the hashtag #PetRemembranceDay for people to show their support and share thoughts and photos of deceased companion animals.