It's the most wonderful day of the year.

Today marks one of the best days of the year, it's International Dog Day, and the best place to go on this holiday is Instagram. On a day like this, Instagram is the place to be with dog photos on almost every profile you look at. And according to the social media app, there are certain dogs that are the most popular breeds in Ireland for that insta-worthy snap. With over 97,000 people in Ireland posting nearly 250,000 times about dogs since May, it's obvious we have an obsession with canines. And it looks like Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Labradors, Collies and Huskies are the top picks when it comes to getting the best snap of any dog on Instagram. There has been a rise in dog owners since Covid began, and a rise in dogs being surrendered since restrictions have lifted, but despite the heartbreaking nature of this, it still seems that rescue dogs are some of the nation's favourites. Over the last 3 months, there’s been more than 12,000 posts and comments about rehoming dogs by 9,500 people in Ireland across Facebook and Instagram. There has also been a massive surge in the use of hashtags like #adoptdontshop, #rescuedog, #rescuedogsofinstagram and #rescuedismyfavoritebreed, making our feelings clear about our love for these gorgeous pups.

Wicklow Animal Welfare's Miriam Peters said: "This year, we have rescued and rehomed hundreds of dogs through Instagram. Alongside the dogs we rescue on a normal basis, we are now inundated with what we term “Covid surrenders”. It’s heartbreaking for the dogs who have been let down by people.

"As a voluntary organisation, founded by Fiona Gammell, we rely entirely on the good will of our supporters. With 14,000 followers and growing, Instagram plays a huge role in helping us communicate with our community, encouraging them to support and donate to help cover costs associated with rescuing dogs."

Facebook groups are another big indicator that we as a nation love dogs, with over 300,000 people in Ireland involved in 27,00o different dog groups.

More than 57,000 of these people are part of groups dedicated to rehoming dogs. Melanie Kevelighan runs the Dogs Trust Ireland Lost & Found Dogs Group, which has more than 14,900 members. She said: "We will be spoiling the dogs in our care and celebrating those lucky pooches who are enjoying the day in their forever homes. Unfortunately, we’ve recently been experiencing a huge increase in the volume of people contacting us to surrender their dog as Covid-19 restrictions ease."