Pets

Peninsula places for pooches

Ah, it’s a dog’s life in autumn, winter and spring on the Peninsula. Pooches know their keen owners will take them out at least once a day, rugging up and walking quickly to get warm. All the beaches are fair game after the ending of time restrictions during daylight saving. And there are a growing number of hospitality and accommodation venues that allow dogs in attached outdoor areas – it’s good for business.

Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, with about 40 per cent of households having at least one dog. And we all know what happened during the pandemic lockdowns – an explosion of dogs!

Victoria’s food standards code is much tougher than places like the UK – where you see dogs inside public places such as pubs – but venues are making allowances for people and their pets. Businesses can allow dogs into outdoor areas not used for food preparation, but they’re not allowed in enclosed areas – places substantially or completely closed by ceilings, roofs, windows or walls. There are several websites that list dog-friendly food and accommodation places, including Mornington Peninsula Regional Tourism’s website, official websites such as VisitMelbourne.com and VisitMorningtonPeninsula.org, and commercial ones like Dogs on Holidays.