What do you want to know?

At Pets Lets we love Wagit. Walking with your dog, a cafe has a sign saying they allow dogs. What you do not know is that dogs are only allowed outside and not inside. With the recent downpours that is not ideal. Both you and your dog would get drenched in the pouring rain. Hardly 100% dog friendly.

Wagit is an online booking platform for dogs and their humans, WagIt sniffs out the best places to go for drinks, food and grooms in London and lets you easily book them online. But more than that, they are a community and are changing the way dog parents are welcomed in society.

The website allows people to search and book pre-approved dog friendly venues. They have Restaurants, Gaucho, Pachamama’s, Humble Grape, Hilton Hotels, Groomers - all already bookable on the platform. The private hire cab company Addison Lee chose WagIt as exclusive partner for their dog bookings.

Humanisation of our Pets

Over lockdown, the British population has turned to pets for comfort. In fact there are 3.2m new pet owners. Of that 59% have been under the age of 35 years old and it has been predicted that by 2025, 1 in 3 pet owners will be millennials. 51% of the UK dog population weighs less than 10kg, with the most popular breeds being Yorkshire Terriers, Mini-Dachshunds and Chihuahuas.

In 2020, the Petcare market was £2.9bn in the UK. In comparison the UK baby & toddler market was £920m.

An interesting emerging statistic is that pet owners spend 26% more when they shop then non-pet owners. People spoil their pets just like you would a child. Children and pets are both bought ‘treats’ and are pampered with gifts.

Dogs & Cats are people’s children

There are strong everyday correlations between children and pets:

• Take your dog to the groomer and your child to the barber. Sniffe & Likkit are purveyors of fine pet care. A fantastic brand with dog gifts and grooming treats. Perfect gifts for your dog as well as gifts for your fellow pet owning friends. Biscuit, a beagle/basset and the Co-Founder of Pets Lets, loves the Paw Balm and The Give A Dog Cologne.

For a hound, that is quite something as she does not normally like pleasant smells! Sniffe & Likkit are a prime example of the rise of upmarket pet brands. This proves the point of how much people are spending on their pets. Pet owners are demanding more than ‘bog standard’ products for their cats and dogs.

• You see a growing number of dog ‘boutiques’ just like children clothes ‘boutiques’.
• There has been an increase in organic/ healthy dog & cat foods just like toddler foods.
• Just like there are child activities and babysitters, there are dog sitters, dog walkers and dog boarding homes when you are away from home.
• Go shopping for your dog or child. There are shops full of the latest pet and child accessories and toys. People cycle with their dogs just like a baby seat.
• When you go abroad, people will arrange a pet passport just like you would apply for a child’s passport.
• With many when they meet up with friends, the dog is doted on just like a child.
• The Dogs Trust slogan of a A Dog is for life mirrors that of a child. It is a big decision and not to be taken lightly. Both children and dogs are given up for adoption when people cannot cope.
• Having a dog in particular, is like having another child. Your children go to school and then your dog comes over to you and literally says ‘what about me’. I need a walk.
• With Millennials and Generation Z, many see having a pet as an introduction to having a child later. You are responsible for another ‘family member’, behaviour/ training, nutrition and their general welfare. It prepares people’s mindset for having children. You become more aware of what to anticipate.
• The final point which sums it up. 72% of pet owners refer to themselves as the pets Mum or Dad.

With my 16 year old having finished his GCSE’s what better way to celebrate than take him away with our beagle/ basset, Biscuit & Co Founder of Pets Lets, as well as a friend of my sons to experience a dog friendly holiday on the Isle of Wight.

Simple to get to from London and the ferry to Fishbourne from Portsmouth (insert Whitley ferries link) was easy. We even arrived early and drove straight on to a ferry. Before 8.30am we were on the Isle of Wight with all three asleep in the back of the car.

Holidaying with a dog can be more complicated when looking for place to stay. On Pets Lets we list pet friendly rentals from long & short lets to holiday lets and now dog friendly pub rooms. We work a lot with Michael Paul Holidays, who are so helpful and recommend and decided to use one of their resorts that we list on the Pets Lets portal. Biscuit needed to ‘sniff’ the place out.

When going on holiday with a dog or more than one dog, there are other things to consider. At your dog friendly place to stay, having that safe and secure bit of outside space makes such a difference in the morning and at night. Far more relaxing and stressful. Save the harness and leads for the main walks during the day.

At Pets Lets, we work with clients from all over the world looking to relocate with their pets. They are astounded by how difficult it is here in the UK to find pet friendly rentals.

In other counties if you want to rent with your dog, it is a simple process. Yet here in the UK, it is a ‘hotly debated topic’.

Landlords are keen to protect their investments and are concerned at the potential damage can do to their properties. It takes one irresponsible pet owner to have a knock-on effect with landlords and estate agents. Talking to property professionals, you hear about cats scratching carpets and dogs chewing furniture.

Yet 9 times out of 10, pet owners are far more responsible than tenants without pets, and you can argue that dogs and cats damage properties less than children. On the other hand, pet owners are equally as vocal about landlords and agents not listening to them and ‘flatly’ saying no to pets.

Pets are part of the family. You would not leave them behind. Whether you are moving within or to the UK with your dog or cat from abroad, they come with you. Pet relocation is a complicated process anyway without changing rules and regulations plus throw in covid flight restrictions and Brexit.

Naturally after 1 January 2021 with Brexit, everything has changed and there has been a lot of uncertainty. To be safe it is always good to start off by following official UK Government pet relocation guidelines.Also have a look at the UK Government Website for official advice which outlines assistance and guide dogs are an exception.