Now, I don’t know about you, but we don’t go out too often without our stinky dog Poppy in tow. I mean, she’s an absolute pest when there’s food about. But we still take her to pubs and cafes with us. And when her diet allows, she does get a few scraps (shhh, don’t tell the vet).
We hate to leave her alone at home. And according to research carried out for Channel 4’s Dogs: Their Secret Lives – Sad Dogs, 85% of dogs suffer from separation related anxiety, feeling frightened, lonely or sad, whenever their owners head out to work or pop out of the house.
This wave of separation anxiety is likely to have increased since lockdown, as dogs have grown accustomed to having us at home.
Poppy is generally OK for a few hours, but she clearly makes a lot of fuss (aroo!) when we return. Especially now I’m at home most of the time. And, as I type this, she’s currently watching by the window for my other half to return!
So, it’s great news that Dog Furiendly has just launched a new app across the UK, which aims to revolutionise planning activities with dogs. This free-to-use app provides dog owners with the option to find places locally, across the UK and Ireland. It features a search engine with more than 12,000 dog-friendly cafes, pubs, restaurants, attractions and events.
And quite frankly, who doesn’t love taking their best friend along with them? Poppy particularly loves visiting castles and cafes with free dog biscuits!
Features of the new Dog Furiendly app
The new app from Dog Furiendly aims to alleviate the problem of separation anxiety, by supporting dog owners to make more travel choices that include their furry family member. But that’s not all. Other features of this new app include a user-based rating system, so you can make decisions based on the reviews and experiences of other dog owners. And dog owners can also use the app to create their own profile, save their favourite places, follow friends and send messages.
The app isn’t just limited to places to go, it also includes handy services like vets, pet shops and dog groomers. If it’s dog related, Dog Furiendly are barking mad for it!
The app was founded by Adele Pember, after she struggled to find places to take her Chihuahua, Charlie, who suffers from separation anxiety.
If you like the sound of it, you can download the Dog Furiendly app from Google Play or Apple Store. It’s hoped that the travel and leisure platform could help around 12 million dog owners across the UK and Ireland.