Owen Sharp, the chief executive of the Dogs Trust, said: “Following the boom in pet ownership during the pandemic, which saw millions of us delighting in the companionship of a dog, today’s figures have sadly come as no surprise to us.

When a literary agent suggested he turn his story into a book Bowen wrote a bestseller about recovering from heroin addiction and finding purpose looking after Bob. It’s a happy ending against all the odds, so I find it hard to be unkind about this family-friendly festive sequel – an undeniably good-hearted film.

James Bowen met Bob in 2007 during his battle with drug addiction when he found the cat abandoned and injured and decided to look after him .Paul McNamee, editor of The Big Issue, said: “First Bob changed James Bowen’s life, then he changed the world.

The rescue dog is thought to have been tortured and beaten by his previous owners (Picture: Joanne Lowen) But Menios is now settling in to a loving and warm home (Picture: Joanne Lowen)Most of the time it cannot spread outside but once it breaks out onto the breast tissue it can occasionally spread to other parts of the body.

RSPCA Inspector Rowena Proctor said: “He said he had gone to the shop and come home to find her dead before going on to admit hitting Molly on the head with a hammer, strangling her with the washing line that was around her neck when her body was found and dumping her in the River Tyne.“He said he did it because she was following him around and getting on his nerves and he lashed out.

Despite all of this, when Owen speaks about his best friend Haatchi, a rescued Anatolian Shepherd, he does so with a smile on his face and overwhelming love for the dog that made him, “confident.” Owen’s inspirational story was first told in 2013.