Food businesses are urged to go dog-friendly for one day

DOGS Trust launched its second national Dog Friendly Ireland Day recently with a little help from award winning beauty entrepreneur, Marissa Carter, and her dog Cherry.

Following on from the success of 2018, where more than 500 individuals and organisations joined Finglas based Dogs Trust in celebrating the day, the charity is asking establishments of all types across the country to allow dogs access with their owners for just one special day.

This year Dog Friendly Ireland Day will take place on Friday, June 21, and the charity is asking dog owners to visit their local dog friendly establishment on the day, take photos and tell the world all about it!

Dogs Trust is on a mission to help make Ireland the best country in the world for dogs and their owners. The Dog Friendly Ireland campaign, now entering its third year, encourages simple but effective changes to many different aspects of public life, in an effort to make Ireland more accessible to dogs and their owners.

Speaking at the launch, Marissa Carter explained why she was backing Dog Friendly Day.

“Every year myself and my family go on a holiday together and finding dog friendly accommodation is a top priority,” she revealed.

“Cherry is very much part of my family; she has been with us for nine wonderful years so leaving her behind is just not an option.

“She comes to work with me every day, and really is my best friend. I love bringing her places whenever I can, whether it’s a staycation or a light lunch, finding places that are pet-friendly is such a treat.

“I would love to see more establishments allowing me to bring Cherry so I’m asking business owners to take part in Dog Friendly Ireland Day on June 21 and see all the benefits that making your business dog friendly can bring.”   

Recent research carried out on behalf of Dogs Trust by Behaviours & Attitudes showed that 40 percent of households in Ireland have at least one dog.

This is much higher than our closest neighbours, the UK, where dog ownership stands at 26 percent. Even still, the UK provides significantly more dog friendly services and venues, allowing people to include their dogs in their daily lives.

Year on year, the demand for more dog friendly services is increasing across Ireland, with 42 percent of those surveyed stating they would be happy to eat in a café, pub, restaurant or other venue which served food and allowed dogs on a lead.

This is a 10 percent increase since the clarification of legislation in this area that confirmed it is at the discretion of a food business owner whether or not they allow dogs in their premises.

A total of 44 percent of dog owners indicated that they would be more likely to holiday in Ireland if there was increased dog friendly accommodation available and almost half of all adults surveyed would be happy to stay in a hostel, hotel or holiday home if they allowed guests to bring their dogs, a 10 percent increase on the previous year.

Sarah Lynch, Campaigns Manager, Dogs Trust said: “We believe that certain restrictions in workplaces, food-serving establishments, hotels, social venues, public transport and the rental market do very little to encourage potential dog owners in welcoming a furry friend in to their life.

“We want to show people how easy and beneficial it is for everyone to turn an everyday normal environment in to a fun and dog friendly space.

“We would love to see those food serving establishments who can allow dogs on site to do so, workplaces who allow dogs in to shout out all about it, public transport of all types to run a dog friendly service and for hotels and B&Bs across Ireland to allow for a doggy sleep over!”

More information on Dog Friendly Day can be found online at www.DogsTrust.ie/DogFriendlyIrelandDay.