Who's top dog in film animal kingdom?

Canine cutie Lassie came home first in UK's best loved movie animals survey.
Film top dog Lassie with starlet Liz TaylorFilm top dog Lassie with starlet Liz Taylor
Film top dog Lassie with starlet Liz Taylor

Celebrating World Animal Day, Odeon cinemas polled 1,000-plus film fans to choose their perfect pet with the fictional female Rough Collie collecting 22 per cent of votes cast.

WC Fields' "Never work with animals or children" classic quote was correctly ignored by (trailered here) 1943 Lassie Come Home co-star Liz Taylor. But, then again, she was just a child herself.

Lady and the Tramp bot feature in top ten film favesLady and the Tramp bot feature in top ten film faves
Lady and the Tramp bot feature in top ten film faves
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From such live-action and animated animals to talking puppets, there’s no shortage of fave film four-legged friends. Or scaley in the shape of second spot lovable clown fish Nemo. And Officer Dibble's nemeisis must be feline pretty smug with third place after being adjudged eponymous Top Cat.

A formidable 50 per cent of those chosen are Disney creations with two cases of characters from same movie. Leads from Finding Nemo and Finding Dory fame and both Lady and Tramp feature in top ten.

Cinema company commercial director Andy Edge said: “This year alone has seen a huge number of on-screen animals, real or imagined, steal hearts across the UK. What better time than World Animal Month to celebrate our best loved animal icons from popular classics and new film hits.”

The poll marked World Animal Day, whose mission was "to raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe".

Storks set to be next big creature featureStorks set to be next big creature feature
Storks set to be next big creature feature
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What better time to celebrate than amid suich animal-themed blockbusters as Ice Age: Collision Course, The Secret Life of Pets, Kung Fu Panda 3 and $1 billion-busting box office blockbuster Zootropolis (aka Zootopia).

And this month sees release of hotly-tipped creature feature Storks, voiced by likes of Jennifer Aniston, Adam Samberg and Ty Burrell.

TOP 20 FAVOURITE MOVIE ANIMALS WE’D LOVE TO HAVE AS PETS

1. Lassie the Dog (Lassie)

Lady and the Tramp bot feature in top ten film favesLady and the Tramp bot feature in top ten film faves
Lady and the Tramp bot feature in top ten film faves

2. Nemo the Fish (Finding Nemo)

3. Top Cat the Cat (Top Cat)

4. Bambi the Deer (Bambi)

5. Lady the Dog (Lady and the Tramp)

Storks set to be next big creature featureStorks set to be next big creature feature
Storks set to be next big creature feature

6. Winnie the Pooh (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)

7. Tramp the Dog (Lady and the Tramp)

8. Marley the Dog (Marley & Me)

9. Beethoven the Dog (Beethoven)

10. Dory the Fish (Finding Dory)

11. Baloo the Bear (The Jungle Book)

12. Sid the Sloth (Ice Age)

13. Black Beauty the Horse (Black Beauty)

14. Simba the Lion (Lion King)

15. Dumbo the Elephant (Dumbo)

16. Stuart Little the Mouse (Stuart Little)

17. Lucky the Dalmatian (101 Dalmatians)

18. Babe the Pig (Babe)

19. Po the Panda (Kung Fu Panda)

20. Kermit the Frog (The Muppets)

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