Pet Trade Xtra reported last week that the offending poster had caused uproar on social media. Jollyes  received about 100 complaints about the sign, which was eventually removed from the store.

The company apologised on Facebook, and its managing director Nick Pollard admitted: "Something like this should never have happened.”

British Veterinary Association president Sean Wensley said it was absolutely right the sign, at the Alban Retail Park branch, was taken down.

"This kind of advert encourages people at a time of year when it's just not suitable. It might be an impulse purchase that they haven't put a lot of thought into, and even if they have, this isn't a good time of year to get a pet because typically it's quite chaotic," he said.