New places and activities to experience and explore, lots of fresh air, fun, and healthy exercise, and one-to-one time with your canine best friend all add up to a memorable break — a time when you can build the bonds between you and return home feeling relaxed and invigorated!

This issue, we have lots to help make the task of holiday planning easier. For starters, if you’d really like to get back in touch with nature, have you considered camping, glamping, or caravanning? Check out six dog-friendly sites we’ve discovered around the country on page 16.

Our ‘Holiday homework’ feature (page 43) focuses on preparation because it’s vital when planning a holiday with your dog. Time to do your research; check out locations, what kind of accommodation, attractions, and facilities are available for dogs, as well as what type of holidays are offered. There’s lots of advice to ensure that both you and your pet get the most out of your time away.

We also have a new series starting this month (page 30) featuring some of the UK’s best and most spectacular walks. We visit the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, which not only offers stunning landscapes, majestic mountains, and wild moors, but lots to do and see, making it very popular with holidaymakers and their dogs.

If holidaying isn’t going to be your thing this year, there are still plenty of topical articles in this issue of Your Dog. Our lead feature ‘Charities in crisis’ (page 12) takes a look at the current state of UK rescue and talks to some of the people at the sharp end, dealing with the challenges that confront the rescue sector. There’s also advice on how you can help the charities at what is a very difficult time.