I can still remember the early days of travelling around the UK with my dog. We’d set off full of hope, only to arrive somewhere and find a sign that made no sense, a path we weren’t sure we could use, or a cafe that looked dog-friendly but wasn’t at all. If you’ve ever had hungry family members staring up at you while you try to work out whether you’re actually allowed in a place, you’ll know exactly what I mean. It’s a strange mix of excitement and uncertainty.
For a long time, I thought it was just part of the adventure. But after enough awkward moments and a few wasted trips, the idea started to itch at me. Why wasn’t there one clear place where we could check these things? Why does it all feel like guesswork?
That frustration planted the first seed for MyPAWfectPlace.
At the start, it wasn’t anything grand. It was me making notes on my phone after every walk. I’d aim to write down the practical bits that you only find out when you’re actually there, including the quiet paths, the dog-friendly pub tucked away on a back street, the parking spots that fill early, and the trees providing shade on a hot day. Nothing fancy, just our visit experience.
Those notes kept growing, and soon enough, I had a personal unorganised handbook. When friends asked for ideas on where to take their dogs, I’d share them. Then they’d pass it on to others. It was like lending someone your favourite walking boots, you’re sharing something that’s already worn in and trustworthy. Every time someone said, “This really helped,” I felt another nudge to do more with it.
That’s when MyPAWfectPlace began to take its shape. This didn’t really begin as some grand project with a detailed plan, more as an evolving answer to a problem that kept cropping up. Travelling with a dog isn’t about ticking off destinations. It’s about whether you feel welcome, whether the paths are safe, and whether your dog can just be themselves.
What was missing was a guide with verified ideas for days out, along with planning tools, rather than guesses and assumptions.
So the exploring carried on, one walk at a time, and the details built up slowly. Those first scrappy notes grew into a living map of dog‑friendly places around the UK, shaped by muddy paws or detailed research, little surprises along the way, and all the moments that showed what dog owners genuinely look for.
And now, when I look at MyPAWfectPlace, I see more than a website and mobile apps. I see a community taking shape. I see dog owners helping each other. I see a space where we can make personal notes, and all share the places that made us smile, or warn others about the ones that didn’t quite hit the mark.
If you’re here reading this, I’d love for you to be part of it too. Share your favourite walk. Add a review that will make someone else’s day easier. Explore somewhere new and tell us how it went.
Together, we can build something that takes the confusion out of dog-friendly travel and replaces it with confidence, joy, and that lovely feeling of setting off on a walk knowing you and your dog are welcome and not just tolerated.
And really, that’s all I ever wanted this to be — a guide born from real life, shaped by real journeys, and shared by people who care.
Hope you find it as helpful as I do,
Ian
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