How dog-friendly is Britain?
The great outdoors
Most of our beloved canines love having the freedom to run in
green space — but which UK city best caters to our canine companions? Research
carried out by Esri UK has found that Scottish cities are the go-to
destinations for doggy day trips, as they have a greater proportion of green
space.
With masses of green space available across the whole of the
UK, it’s the Scottish cities that lead the way. Edinburgh has a huge 49.2% of green
space, while Glasgow has 32%. In terms of English cities, Bristol (29%) and
Birmingham (24.6%) have the most. It’s bad news if you’re planning a visit to
Liverpool with your pooch though, as just 16.4% of the city is green space.
Whether it is a beautiful coastline, city centre or green
space, it’s clear that Britain’s dogs are well catered for.
Doggy shops
If you are shopping with your doggy best friend, you could be
limited to pet shops and independent stores. Dogs are largely excluded from the
British high street.
However, what you may find surprising is the number of
premium retailers who welcome pooches to their stores. For example, the Bond
Street branch of Fenwick’s department store will welcome any breed of dog no
matter their size, as long as they are kept on a leash. Likewise, iconic London
store Harrods welcomes dogs but only on the fourth floor (Pet Kingdom),
providing you can present up-to-date vaccination cards. However, you won’t be
able to browse the rest of the store with your dog, but you can leave them in
the pet crèche!
Doggy pubs
After all that running around, you won’t be the only one
wanting a little pit stop. The British love a pub — and, as the figures show,
so do our pooches! According to data from Google Trends, search interest in
‘dog friendly pubs’ has grown steadily since 2012. Now, an average of 9,900
people search for ‘dog friendly pubs’ each month — compared to just 1,900 who
search for ‘romantic restaurants’.
Thankfully, here are 5,000 dog-friendly pubs listed on Doggie Pubs,
so you can enjoy a chilled beverage in the company of your canine friend – although
this number is likely to be much higher in reality as the list is curated. An
increasing number of businesses are becoming dog friendly to cater to a wider
audience.
A 2016 Kennel Club survey found that after introducing a
dog-friendly policy, 71% of businesses gained new customers. 50% of guests
visited for longer too, as their dog wasn’t at home or tied up outside. Not
only does the move help to introduce more customers to your business, it has
also been found to increase customer and staff interactions by up to two
thirds.
Doggy colleagues
Do you hate leaving your doggy behind when you leave for work
every day? Some employers even allow their employees to bring their dogs to
work. Could you imagine having your canine best friend as your work colleague? June
24th is national Bring Your Dog to Work Day, with many businesses
across the country getting involved. However, Britain’s workplaces aren’t just
dog-friendly on this day — 8% of UK employees are allowed to take their dogs to
work all year round.
When it comes to Britain, whether it’s work, rest or play,
clearly we are a very dog-friendly nation. As our love of four-legged friends
continues to grow, so will the number of facilities where our dogs are welcome.
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