Second Dog Day was something to bark about

10 Sep 2024

Canine companions packed out the city centre on Sunday for the second annual St Albans Dog Day.

Despite the odd downpour, the event was a huge success, with various activities for dogs and their human owners taking place.

Christopher Place Shopping Centre was the hub of interactive events, including free dog training sessions with A Different Dog and the chance to make a free rope dog toy out of old jeans with Jefferson Eco from London Road.

Representatives from Pet Blood Bank and their canine ambassadors provided information to dog owners on the vital work they do to save pets’ lives and the need for donors, and local graffiti artist Ant Steel added a pop of colour and was painting live throughout the day.

Centre manager Catherine Morris said: “Following from our lovely Dog Day event on Sunday, hosted by the BID and Christopher Place, it is clear we are officially a very dog friendly city.

“It was amazing to see all the different breeds of dogs in one area and all the owners were very well behaved! Thank you to all who participated in the event, especially our charity Pet Blood Bank, who are remarkable. See you next year for more doggy excitement!”

St Albans Sunday market featured additional dog product traders including Husky Tails with a wide selection of colourful dog toys, licky mats and leads.

Market regulars Chiltern Pet who sell a range of natural dog treats and chews, were serving up an extra special puppuccino for their four-legged customers. Dog- friendly whipped cream was topped with pate and fish sprinkles and devoured by many furry visitors to their stall.

Co-ordinated by St Albans BID, St Albans Dog Day is part of their campaign to highlight and promote the dog-friendly status of the city centre and encourage dog owners to make use of the places that warmly welcome pooches all year round. The BID team handed out free dog treats courtesy of Chiltern Pet to visiting pups and provided information on dog-friendly places to visit to their owners.

BID manager Vivien Cannon said: “It was great seeing so many dog owners and their four-legged friends come out and enjoy St Albans Dog Day. St Albans regularly features on lists for top dog-friendly places in the UK based on our wonderful green spaces and walks.

“We hope by also highlighting the wide range of dog-friendly businesses we can encourage not only resident dog owners but those visiting with a recommendation that St Albans becomes their default dog-friendly destination.”

From shops, restaurants, pubs, cafés, hairdressers, estate agents and many other types of services, there are over 100 dog-friendly businesses in St Albans. To help people find which businesses accommodate dogs, the BID also provides a free ‘Dog Friendly’ window sticker for its city centre member businesses to display and also publishes a list of businesses on the Enjoy St Albans website: https://www.enjoystalbans.com/dog-friendly/