A paw-some pub that offers doggy bar snacks and the option of booking a dog table in advance is in with a chance of being crowned the most-dog friendly pub in the east of England.
Throughout October DogBuddy is sniffing out the country’s most dog-friendly pub, for their third annual awards which recognise those that go the extra mile to make dogs, and their owners, feel welcome. Twelve regional finalists will be chosen by the pup-loving public- with the overall winner picked by a panel of judges.
The Dog at Grundisburgh, owned by self-confessed dog lovers, is currently set to take first place in the east of England with only 10 days left for punters to cast their votes.
Eilir Rogers and her husband Charles own the Suffolk pub which has been in the family for years. When they heard the news of their position in the contest, they were over the moon.
Eilir, commented: ”We are very excited- we’ve always been dog friendly and we are so glad that our customers agree with us and have been voting for us to win.”
The Dog offers dog treats on the bar, water bowls on arrival- and the possibility to book a table with a furry friend in advance.
Research by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) shows that pubs are closing at a rate of 18 a week but DogBuddy research shows over a quarter of 3,000 dog owners surveyed (26%) say that they visit a pub more than once a week - meaning being dog-friendly could save a pub.
In the Dog at Grundisburgh, pups are allowed wherever the customers can go, including the pub’s restaurant area.
Eilir, who recently took over her half of the pub from her brother, said: “We love dogs and have three of our own- they are a really important part of everything we do at the Dog.
“Generally speaking they have been well behaved and we’ve never had any issues with dogs on the premises- if anything they are made more of a fuss of than the people,” said the 37-year-old.
Voting closes on Sunday, 28 October and anyone can vote for their pub by visiting their website. You can also take a look at the current leaderboard here.
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