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DESTINATION DOG DOGFRIENDLYDESTINATIONS.COM
Dog Friendly Destinations launched during the pandemic in 2020 - not an ideal time for a business sharing dog friendly places to stay, eat, and go across the UK. With thousands using the site each month to plan dog friendly adventures, and a following of over 50,000 on social media, it’s safe to say that co-founders, Lauren Jones and Rachel Southern are providing an in-demand service. Vanity Fur: A website brimming with dog friendly recommendations? Tell us more! Rachel Southern: Yes, we feature lots of lovely dog friendly cottages, lodges, hotels, and even a treehouse or two, that are delighted to welcome four-legged as well as two-legged guests. But alongside recommendations for places to stay, we’ve also combed the UK for great dog-friendly pubs and coffee shops, and the most stunning dog walks that you can enjoy while you’re away too. We have a small team of roving re-paw-ters who share fantastic local recommendations on the website, ones that you might miss if you’re not from that area. VF: What was the inspiration behind starting Dog Friendly Destinations? Lauren Jones: I rescued my Collie, Milo, when he was eight months old (he’s now 11) and because of how badly he’d been treated, he suffered from terrible separation anxiety. As a result, he accompanied us – my husband and I - everywhere. We took him, and continue to take him, on days out, weekends away, holidays. Milo even came to our wedding!
I knew I couldn’t be alone in not wanting to leave my dog at home, and with Rachel’s love of dogs and background in communications and digital marketing, we set about creating a website to help others whose dogs form an integral part of the family. Launching in lockdown was quite a challenge. It kept us both VERY occupied with having to home-school too. But we got through it, and with everyone looking for entertainment to pass the time, it gave us a tremendous opportunity to work on and grow our social media channels. VF: What did you both do before starting the business? LJ: I’m a qualified teacher but moved in to social media management after the birth of my first son, five years ago. I’m also currently studying for a marketing qualification. RS: I’m a former communications manager in the automotive industry but more recently I worked as a digital marketing consultant prior to starting Dog Friendly Destinations with Lauren – who’s also my sister-in-law. VF: What makes a great dog friendly destination? RS: This is such a great question and something that I’ve changed my mind about. When we first launched the website, we had very strict criteria in mind. We’ve since relaxed our opinions quite a bit based on feedback from other dog owners.
