Perthshire looks to capture the ‘hound pound’

Perthshire will lead the way with a new dog friendly website this weekend.

Over 100 dog-lovers and their four-legged friends are heading to Perth this weekend for Puppies and Prosecco, the eagerly-anticipated launch for brand-new tourism website, Dog Friendly Perthshire.

Puppies and Prosecco is the first event of its kind in Perth and takes place between noon and 3pm on Sunday 29 April, at the Green Room, the largest dog-friendly venue in Perth city. By coincidence, 29 April is also National Pet Parents Day.

Tickets for the hottest party in town sold out within hours online.
Those lucky owners who managed to get their paws on one, will get the first look at the new Dog-Friendly Perthshire website as well as a host of other treats from local pet businesses, a doggie cake to share and a pop-up photo booth.

For humans, there will be a range of dog-themed cocktails created especially for the occasion. Perthshire businesses have also got behind the event by donating some spectacular prizes for the fundraising raffle. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to local dog rescue charity, Perthshire Abandoned Dog Society (PADS).

Katie McCandless Thomas originally set up Dog Friendly Perthshire as a Facebook page in 2015. As a long-time resident of Perth, she and her loyal Lhasa Apso Baxter are on a mission to promote Perthshire as the Dog Friendly Capital of Scotland. With well over 7,000 followers, and new businesses signing up daily, the campaign has gained momentum, and now has its very own dedicated website.

Dog Friendly Perthshire will list all the cafes, restaurants, accommodation and shops in the area which welcome dogs. Katie and ‘ambassadog’ Baxter will also sniff out the very best places to stay, walk, eat, and shop with your dog and regularly post blogs about all their adventures.

Dog Friendly Perthshire’s Puppies and Prosecco event takes place on Sunday

Pet-friendly tourism, or the ‘hound pound’, is an extremely lucrative market – worth over £4bn and growing all the time. Dog Friendly Perthshire will provide a real opportunity for tourism businesses to expand their pet-friendly potential and boost to the area’s tourism. Katie’s idea has gained support from Visit Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council.

Caroline Warburton, VisitScotland regional leadership director, said: ‘With beautiful spacious parks, scenic woodland walks and a host of dog-friendly cafes, restaurants and shops, Perthshire is a pedigree destination for dog owners. The launch of this brand-new website will highlight the region’s wonderful tourism offering for both visitors and their furry friends.’

Baxter is following in the pawprints of other high profile ‘ambassadogs’ such as Marcel Le Corgi, who tours the UK with his French owner, and VisitScotland’s own George the Retriever who travels around Scotland visiting pet-friendly attractions.

Emma Rae, one of George the Ambassadog’s owners, said: ‘George is a big fan of Perthshire, especially walks around the Loch Leven Heritage Trail and the Birks of Aberfeldy.

‘He loves to explore the forests and discover the dog-friendly cafes in Crieff and Perth. We hope that the new website will inspire many people to explore the region and organise their next pawfect adventure.’