In her last few years, Walsh always shot photos and videos of their visits together, and with Walsh's West Highland White Terrier, Andrew. "My mother had a dog just like him, so I would tell her it was her dog, and she would hold onto his leash ...

Meanwhile, many traditional breeds are plummeting in numbers, among them the Yorkshire terrier (down 32 per cent since 2001 to 3,441 puppies in 2010), and West Highland White terrier, (down 51 per cent to 5,361), German shepherd (down 27 per cent to 10,364 ...

Animal lover Jo, of Ambergate, has a few pets of her own. She has Max, a toy poodle, and Chrissy, a West Highland white terrier, plus a cockatiel called Benjemima. She said: "The centres need our help because they rely on the public for donations.

Two regular guests -- Mollie, a West Highland white terrier from Carmel, and Tasha, a Pomeranian from Seaside -- gave our pooches no more than a passing glance. They were too busy helping their owners nibble on tea sandwiches and homemade scones.