Germany Most Dog Friendly
Published: May 26, 2005
The results of a European study of dog owners has been released by pet food manufacturer Winalot, (Purina PetCare, Nestlé) showing the UK as less dog friendly than three of its EU counterparts, France, Germany and Italy. Germany came out on top as the country perceived to be the most dog friendly.
The survey of 2,000 dog owners across the four countries revealed that over half (53%) of French respondents cited the UK as the least dog friendly nation, as did 47% of Germans and 42% of Italians. Even 30% of British dog owners actually agreed with them.
When asked why the UK is not considered dog friendly, dog owners said that Britons had the wrong attitude towards their pets, particularly in terms of offering adequate dog friendly facilities and services.
The research also illustrates the effect this negative perception can have on tourism revenue here in the UK, as astoundingly a third of all Germans, French and Italians in the survey said that they were actually put off coming to holiday in the UK, due to the UK’s lack of pet friendly facilities.
Almost half (42%) of Brits take their dogs with them when they holiday within the UK. However when asked why they do, 51% said it was not because the UK had good dog friendly facilities and services but rather because they like to travel with their dogs. This was in contrast to Germany who said that the reason they travel with their dogs is because their country offers good dog friendly facilities and services.
Interestingly Brits were found to be the least likely to travel with their pet to other EU countries, whilst the Germans were the most likely to travel with their dog to other EU countries, followed closely by the Italians.
David Rebetzke, Winalot Senior Brand Manager at Purina PetCare said:
“With millions of dog owners in Europe and an increasingly travel focused population, it is important to have and to highlight dog friendly facilities and services. Our research shows that Britons and our European neighbours like to travel with their pets and are put off travelling to countries that they perceive as not being dog-friendly.
“The 2005 Winalot Approved Dog Friendly Awards, which we launched today, aims to highlight and commend dog friendly places and facilities within the UK. We anticipate a high number of entries again this year, following on from the success in 2004, demonstrating that the UK is not lacking in dog friendly facilities, but rather we need to give them better recognition, particularly when communicating to our European neighbours.”
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