Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, visited Calf Heath Marina to put his support behind businesses who have been commended for being dog friendly.
Gavin met with rescue dog Reilly who came from the Border Collie Trust with his owner, the charity’s secretary, Ben Wilkes.
The award comes as part of the search to find the UK’s most dog-friendly places, as the Kennel Club launches its Be Dog Friendly Awards 2015. The Kennel Club is the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training. The competition, now in its ninth year, is part of the Be Dog Friendly campaign which encourages more businesses and public spaces to welcome dogs through their doors.
With over 9 million dogs in the UK, and around one in four households owning a dog, the Be Dog Friendly Awards recognise businesses and places to visit that go the extra mile for our canine companions. The awards will see over 32,000 entries including dog-friendly hotels, cottages, pubs, beaches, camping and caravan sites.
Brendan Wordley of The Harrows Inn commented: “It's nice to see that people are interested in inviting and including dogs more openly, after all they are supposed to be man’s best friend and they should be able to accompany their friends wherever they go.”
After his visit Gavin said: “I had a fantastic time visiting Calf Heath Marina to discover more about the Kennel Club and the Dog Friendly Awards.
“It was brilliant to meet rescue dog Reilly and hear about what the Border Collie Trust does from Ben. As a nation of animal lovers, I think the awards are a brilliant way of encouraging businesses to supporting people being able to take their dogs on family days out. I hope many businesses will follow Calf Heath Marina’s example and become dog friendly.”