Six bars around the country are waiting with bated breath to hear which one will be crowned the Best Pub for Dogs in the prestigious Great British Pub Awards.
The shortlisted establishments in the Rover.com-sponsored dog-friendly pub category are The Bellflower in Preston, Lancashire; The Leicester Arms in Penshurst, Kent; The Oak in Coventry, West Midlands; The Runner in Swindon, Wiltshire, and Cumbria’s Greenhead Hotel in Brampton, and The Pheasant in Bassenthwaite.
The judges will be scrutinising the amenities available for dogs, such as water bowls and treats, and how much as been invested into making areas canine friendly. Research from Rover, the world’s largest online marketplace for pet care, has revealed almost a third (32 per cent) of owners wouldn’t visit a pub if it wasn’t dog friendly.
The data also showed that more than half (56 per cent) of people are twice as likely to talk to someone they don’t know if they’re with a dog. In fact, nearly four in 10 (37 per cent) said they’d only start a conversation with a stranger if they had a dog, and more than a third (34 per cent) admitted they don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like dogs.