SPECIAL FEATURE

Seizing the op-paw-tunity

According to research from hospitality insurer NFU Mutual, the vast majority of dog owners are looking to take their four-legged friends on holiday. Is your business making the most of this growing market sector? Is your venue pet friendly?

Against a backdrop of pandemic puppies and a surge in staycations, nearly two thirds (60%) of dog owners say they will always take their pet away with them. 18% will sometimes be taking their dog, while 17% are considering it. Only 5% of dog owners said they would never take their pet on holiday. The trend extends to other hospitality venues, with 84% of dog owners having visited a restaurant, pub or café with their pet, and a further 10% wanting to in the future. Even dog friendly weddings are becoming common, with nearly a quarter (23%) of dog owners saying they have attended or held a wedding where dogs made the guest list. Thirty-four percent of dog owners won’t visit a hospitality venue unless it welcomes dogs, while a further 56% of owners look for dog friendly venues often (35%) or sometimes (21%). Darren Seward, hospitality sector specialist at NFU Mutual, says: “Dog friendly holidays were popular before the pandemic but the jump in dog ownership and surge in staycations have pushed the trend even further. “From hotels in the Highlands to selfcatering in Cornwall, our research shows there’s high demand for dog friendly accommodation in the UK. “With the PDSA estimating over a quarter (26%) of UK adults now own a dog, it’s important for hospitality businesses to consider whether to extend their welcome to dogs, or risk excluding their owners altogether.” Self-catered accommodation is the most popular option for those looking to take their dog away (considered by 85%), followed by hotels (43%) and B&Bs (34%), with camping (32%) and glamping (18%) becoming emerging trends. The most popular holiday destinations for dogs were Cornwall in top place (30%), followed by the Lake District (25%), the Scottish Highlands (24%), and Devon (20%). Darren continues: “For many dog owners, ‘dog friendly’ doesn’t just mean that their dog is allowed on site. Welcoming staff (86%), a guide to local walking routes (70%), dedicated outdoor areas (67%) and water bowls (63%) are now key requirements. 62% also look for awards, commendations or positive reviews about the business’s canine credentials. “Dog owners are also keen to understand what is expected of them and their pet, with clear communication of rules listed as a top requirement (77%). “Some businesses go past ‘dog friendly’ into ‘dog enthusiastic’, working above and beyond to put the needs of dog owners and their pets at the heart of their business. In recent years, this trend has seen features like dog menus, dog welcome packs, doggy day care and dog grooming becoming part of some hospitality venues’ business offering.” “However, businesses need consider the implications of introducing or extending their dog friendly offering. Inviting pets to stay at your venue could make a big difference to your risk assessment and to licence conditions

required by your local authority, especially if you are thinking of introducing more complicated services like pet spa treatments, doggy day care, boarding kennels and pet taxi services. “Consider what hazards and risks you and guests might meet interacting with a pet onsite. Mitigation could involve actions like positioning stair gates in key locations, changing cleaning chemicals, designating dog walking areas or displaying additional site rules.” NFU Mutual Risk Management Services offers the following advice to businesses thinking of allowing guests to bring their dogs:

1 SET OUT CLEAR RULES • Be very clear about which animals are allowed to stay, and any limits on numbers. • State what provisions are on offer such as food, water, toilet locations and pet bedding.

Our research shows there’s high demand for dog friendly accommodation in the UK

• Set expectations for acceptable behaviour (from both the pet and their owner) such as commitments to extra cleaning, areas where the animal isn’t allowed to go, any facilities the animal can’t use (bath, shower, swimming pool etc.) • Speak to your insurer to establish if any property damage is covered and consider whether you need to include conditions for damage when agreeing terms of stay with the pet owner.

2 CONSIDER HOW YOU WILL

CONTROL PET-RELATED

RISKS, SUCH AS: • Trips and falls over pets in and around the business. • Bites, scratches, fighting and aggressive outburst between animals. • Storage of pet medications if requested by the owner. • Waste disposal of animal solids and fluids (will the local authority accept this in general waste or will it require specialist waste contractor to remove). • Other guests’ potential allergies to pets and how guest rooms, bedding and towels will be hygienically cleaned, and pet hair removed. • Animals chewing during their stay. Electrical and IT cabling and plastic water pipes are prone to damage causing potential for electrocution and unexpected release of water. • In the event of an emergency pet owners will no doubt escape with their pet in hand.

Consider how this may affect your fire evacuation plans. • Food hygiene at meal-times for guests is imperative and pets in cooking and eating areas should be discouraged, with good hand washing procedures encouraged for staff and guests after touching pets. • If pets are allowed into a jacuzzi or swimming pool, extra steps will be required to maintain the filtration system and changes made to chemical dosing between guests.

3 KEEP STAFF TRAINED, IN-

FORMED AND PET FRIENDLY

Though it is important to ensure the pet, owner and other guests are safe, concern should also turn to your staff and keeping them safe. The correct training will make sure staff are aware of their responsibilities and safely follow new procedures and use of any new machinery or chemicals.