Liverpool Crowned UK's Most Dog Friendly City

DOG owners in Liverpool are in luck, as the City has been crowned the UK's most dog friendly City, beating off close competition from neighbour Manchester and capital City London. 

The research, carried out by House My Dog, the online service that matches dog owners with suitable, hand picked sitters and walkers, looked into various factors within each City to ascertain how dog friendly it was. These included factors such as amount of outdoor space suitable for dog walking, dog friendly pubs and restaurants, and the general attitude of residents towards dogs, and each City was awarded a score out of 50. With over a quarter of households in Liverpool having a dog as a pet, (26%) and over ₤170 million spent on the 190,000 dogs in Liverpool each year, the City was a clear winner in the dog loving stakes, with an overall:- "dog friendly" score of 46.

Manchester came in 2nd place and scored particularly well on lovely parks and outdoor space for dog walking, followed by London, who had a strong good number of dog friendly pubs and bars. At the other end of the scale were Glasgow, where only 17% of residents would consider a dog as a pet, and scored 21/50 overall, and Birmingham, which has the fewest number of dog friendly pubs in the UK. People from Liverpool were also the keenest to have a dog as a pet, with 62% of those surveyed claiming they would happily welcome a dog into their home.

In terms of suitable spaces to walk dogs, Liverpool, Manchester and London offered the most options in the way of clean, accessible parks and outdoor sites to ensure pooches receive the exercise they need. To celebrate the dog friendliness of these top three  Cities, House My Dog has created guides for each City, detailing the best places for dog walking, taking into account factors such as parking, how picturesque a place is, how safe for dog walkers, etc. More info can be found at (INSERT LINK)

The UK's top five dog friendly  Cities, according to the House My Dog research, are:-

►  Liverpool.

►  Manchester.

►  London.

►  Cardiff.

►  Leeds.

Timothy McElroy, founder of HouseMyDog, says:- "Although we are a nation of animal lovers; in the UK over 56% of households are pet owners; it's been very interesting to see how our attitudes towards dogs differ in each City. For us, it's great to see that major UK  Cities such as Manchester and Liverpool are so welcoming to dogs and their owners."

House My Dog, recently launched in the UK, works much like Airbnb, allowing dog owners to search vetted and reliable dog sitters and dog walkers in their area. They can then message and book securely through the website or app and travel relaxed knowing their dog will be covered with veterinary care, 24/7 support as well as photo and message updates with every booking. All House My Dog sitters and walkers are thoroughly vetted by House My Dog and dog owners can also view full profiles, photos and reviews from other dog owners for each dog sitter or walker.

House My Dog is the brainchild of brothers Timothy and James McElroy, who spotted a gap in the sector for this type of service when they struggled to find a sitter for their pet dog Holly. Since 2015, House My Dog has grown from a small community in Dublin to over 30  Cities throughout Ireland, the UK, and Germany.

For more information please visit:- HouseMyDog.Com.

'Risky Brits' as survey shows over ½ of the nation knowingly void insurance

MORE than ½ of Brits have committed offences that void their car or home insurance, according to new data from leading price comparison website MoneySuperMarket, despite knowing it could leave them unprotected in the event of an incident or burglary.

From letting others drive your car to leaving windows open in the house, the report from MoneySuperMarket reveals the list of seemingly minor misdemeanours that Brits knowingly commit.

13% of Brits admit to moving jobs without telling their car insurer of the change, despite 46% of those surveyed being aware that it could void their insurance. Updating this information is important as it can affect the way car insurance premiums are calculated, with some occupations being deemed more of a risk. MoneySuperMarket research from earlier this year found that:- 'students' without jobs who list themselves as:- 'unemployed' can add 51% to their premium; costing them a huge ₤6,772.

A further 5% of Brits have also started a home business without informing their home insurer, despite 55% being aware that it could void their insurance. From storing stock and selling clothes on eBay, to hosting beauty business parties at home, these set ups could invalidate insurance policies.

While 56% are aware that leaving their windows open will void home insurance, 34% still knowingly put themselves at risk by doing so. 50% of those surveyed are aware that letting someone else drive their car is a violation of car insurance, yet 31% are still willing to take the risk.

As Brits prepare to host family and friends for the Christmas festivities, the research reveals that 9% have renovated their homes and not informed their insurers, despite a 26% of those surveyed knowing that it could void their insurance.

The younger generation is most willing to take risks, with 76% of 25 to 34 year olds committing offences that could infringe upon car insurance terms and conditions. The majority, 80%, have knowingly voided their home insurance, including failing to turn on the burglar alarm when leaving their property (34%.) On the flip side, older generations are most likely to play by the rules, with over 55's committing the fewest car insurance violations (46%) and 45 to 54 year olds committing the fewest home insurance infringements (53%.)

Most common insurance violations:-

Tom Flack, Editor in Chief at MoneySuperMarket, commented:- "There are lots of ways that Brits can accidentally find themselves in a position where they're flouting the rules of their insurance policy. Yet surprisingly, our latest research reveals that many are actually aware of the risks, but are still willing to gamble. What may seem like a trivial action, such as not informing your insurer when you change jobs, may result in your insurance being voided, meaning that if something goes wrong, your claim won't be paid. This could leave people with a huge potential loss if their house is burgled or they are in a car accident. Make sure you've got the insurance cover that best suits your needs and regularly shop around for the best deal."