Bury St Edmunds – England’s Most Dog Friendly Town
Bury St Edmunds is officially the most Dog Friendly Town in England.
The town reached the finals of the DogFriendly Awards 2023 in the Most Dog Friendly Town/City category at The Kennel Club HQ in London on November 29. The three finalists were Bury St Edmunds, Eastbourne, and Girvan.
Girvan in Scotland took home 1st place for the Most Dog Friendly Town/City in the UK while Bury St Edmunds won silver and is now the most Dog Friendly Town in England.
With dog-friendly accommodation, cafes and restaurants, plus attractions and days out that your pooch will love, the historic town and surrounding towns and villages are the ideal place to enjoy a short break or holiday with every member of the family – including the furry variety!
The town has had its own Dog Friendly Bury St Edmunds scheme for the last five years to let visitors know where you can bring your four-legged pal. More than 100 businesses have signed up.
Wherever the #dogfriendlybse paw print logo sticker is displayed in windows, businesses will welcome dogs in a town-wide and beyond initiative from Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Camp Tails Doggy Daycare, Our Bury St Edmunds BID (Business Improvement District) and Bury St Edmunds and Beyond.
Dog Friendly businesses in the town centre are also marked with a blue paw on the Our Bury St Edmunds BID Town Map and there’s a Dog Friendly Businesses Town Trail to enjoy on the LoyalFree Bury St Edmunds app!
The town’s tourism brand Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, now part of Our Bury St Edmunds BID, has also been running a digital marketing campaign throughout the autumn to encourage people (from a 2–3-hour drive time away) to book a Dog Friendly stay in the town, along with a photo competition for the best photo of a dog in an iconic spot in Bury St Edmunds.
The DogFriendly Awards are an opportunity to recognise and reward dog friendly places and pet businesses that go the extra mile for the benefit of the UK’s 12.5 million dogs and their owners. Winners of the DogFriendly Awards (it is in its 11th year this year) in each of the categories are chosen by public vote.
Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds BID, which now includes the town’s official tourism brand Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, Mark Cordell said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for this prestigious UK award which is recognition of the great progress the town has made in being a recognised dog friendly destination since we launched the scheme with Jon Kay of Camp Tails Doggy Daycare and Bury St Edmunds Town Council 5 years ago. We are grateful for the support we have received from over 100 BID businesses who now warmly welcome dogs and their owners! into their premises.
“Our congratulations to Girvan in Scotland and to Eastbourne who were also finalists. We can now proudly say we are England’s Most Dog Friendly Town.
“I believe that being a dog friendly destination encourages more dog owners to come into our town centre, stay longer and visit more businesses, than they would if they had to leave their dog at home. I would like to recognise the work of Jon Kay from Camp Tails for his initial idea and contribution to making the scheme such a success”
Jon Kay is the owner of Camp Tails Doggy Daycare and the only hotel for dogs in the town and he founded the Dog Friendly Bury St Edmunds Scheme with former Bury St Edmunds Town Councillor Clive Springett. Jon said: “One of my main goals when we created the scheme was to make Bury St Edmunds recognised as one of the most dog friendly locations in the UK, but I didn’t think for a minute we would potentially be recognised by the national dog friendly awards. I’m super proud and excited to have this vision become a reality.”
To find out more about Dog Friendly Bury St Edmunds visit www.dogfriendlybse.co.uk
