Dog-friendly holidays to celebrate Crufts 2010

Pet friendly holidays in a choice of caravan holiday homes and lodges – located close to footpaths and exercise areas and equipped with free extras such as dog bed, treats, toys and  bowls – is the offer from Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks in North Devon.

Guests are also provided with a complimentary ‘woof guide’ packed full of useful information including details of coastal and countryside footpaths, ‘doggy friendly’ pubs and restaurants, details of local vets and dog walking trails at the parks themselves.

Reductions of 20% on all breaks taken between 5 June and 31 July are currently available which means, for example, a week in a caravan holiday home (sleeping four) from 5 June costs £176.  A sum of £20 per week is payable for each dog. The company is also exhibiting at Crufts, so visitors check out Hall 5, stand 124. See woolacombe.com/bp for more details.

On a unique, special website - thewoofguide.co.uk - Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire highlights lots of pet-friendly properties and also has sections highlighting dog-friendly pubs, restaurants and activities.

All featured cottages have been specially reviewed – with a ‘paw rating’ - for their suitability for five categories of pet – everything from pups to pensioners.

For example, a week’s stay at Rose Cottage (sleeps four) in the tiny hamlet of Lochvane near Newport is £427 in mid April.  The cottage is set in two acres of gardens and is minutes from sandy beaches and the coastal path. See coastalcottages.co.uk or visit thewoofguide.co.uk.

Yorkshire Cottages, unlike some holiday companies, do not charge extra when you take the family dog.  Their portfolio of around 400 cottages features lots of pet-friendly ones, including Park Lane Cottage at Aislaby, near Whitby.

This 17th century barn conversion is quietly set in ‘Heatbeat’ country, with beautiful walks, including the Eskdale Walk, in the locality.  The coastal resorts of Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay and Runswick Bay (a beach where dogs are welcome year round) are close at hand.

The pet and family-friendly accommodation boasts tiled and wooden floors, large leather sofas and two double bedrooms, one with a put-u-up bed suitable for a child, so the house can sleep five, plus pooch. A week in July starts at £540. See yorkshire-cottages.info for more details.