Vote for dog friendly Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk was voted England’s most dog friendly town in the National DogFriendly Awards 2023 and now it has its sights set on being the UK’s most dog friendly town.

Last year Girvan in Scotland took home 1st place for the Most Dog Friendly Town/City in the UK while Bury St Edmunds won silver and crowned the most Dog Friendly Town in England. As the ideal place to enjoy a break with every member of the family - including the four-legged variety - the historic town is making a strong bid to win the all-important UK accolade..

The DogFriendly Awards recognise and reward dog friendly places and pet businesses that go the extra mile for the benefit of the UK’s 12.5 million dogs and their owners. Winners of the DogFriendly Awards in each of the categories are chosen by public vote. The 2024 Awards will close on 13th October with the winners announced at a ceremony on Thursday, 21st November at a London location.

With more pet owners now taking their pooch on holiday with them, Bury St Edmunds has developed its own dog friendly scheme to help visitors and residents easily identify where their four-legged pal is made welcome. Around 140 shops, eateries, places to stay, attractions and more which have signed up to the scheme, can display a blue paw print logo sticker and water bowl. Dog-friendly places are also marked with the blue paw on the Our Bury St Edmunds BID town map.

The Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides have introduced a new dog friendly tour specially designed for dog owners and their four-legged friends to discover more about the town’s pooch friendly places. The 90 minute tour for up to 20 people and 10 dogs includes the 1,000 year old Abbey and town centre, to book visit www.burystedmundstourguides.org/our-tours/dog-friendly-tours; prices £10 per adult, under 18s and dogs £5, under 5s free.

Looking ahead, a new 2025 ‘Dogs of the Cathedral’ calendar will also soon be available from the St Edmundsbury Cathedral shop.

Jon Kay, who founded the town’s dog friendly scheme with help from Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Our Bury St Edmunds BID, and Bury St Edmunds and Beyond, said:

“I am proud to support the new dog friendly version of the Bury St Edmunds tour, it was such a great idea that I gladly offered my help and advice to ensure its success. This tour is another example of how and why our town is recognised as being so dog friendly. It’s a real collaborative effort that benefits not only dogs and their owners, but also local businesses and Suffolk’s wider tourism economy.

“I couldn’t think of a more wonderful association for our town and I really hope we go one step further this year and gain the UK title. However, this does require support as it is reliant on public votes, so we are asking if you enjoy and benefit from our Dog Friendly BSE scheme please take a few minutes to register a vote".

If you agree, please cast your vote at www.dogfriendly.co.uk/town-city/listing/bury-st-edmunds-89871, just click on ‘Vote for In DogFriendly Awards’ and follow the instructions, it only takes a few seconds.

For more information about Bury St Edmunds Dog Friendly Scheme visit www.dogfriendlybse.co.uk or watch the video on YouTube, which gives a real dog’s eye view of the town. For more details about other things to see and do and where to stay visit www.burystedmundsandbeyond.co.uk.