Two mn pets left at home while Britons go to work

London: Around 2.6 million pets are locked up in their homes across Britain while their owners are busy at work, says a new study.

At least 25 percent of the total number of dogs are left home alone every day, says the a website. Around 72 percent of dog owners feel guilty about leaving their pets alone, says the study by gocompare.com, which polled 2,000 dog owners. One-third Britons leave doors open inside the house so that the pet can wander around freely, while 27 percent leave meals for them. Around 13 percent of dog owners regret they should never have bought a dog because they have no time to look after it. Phil Paterson-Fox, head of pet insurance at the company, said: "This is distressing news. Unfortunately for the dogs, it does mean long term health implications as they may not be getting enough fresh air, exercise or attention." IANS