Free shipping over £15

New research puts Scotland first among UK countries for pet-friendly facilities and their relative accessibility to working pet owners. 

With many businesses returning to the office, workers with pets face a substantial adjustment in terms of time they’re now able to devote to their pets. Pets likewise have to get used to being left at home again, and some can even experience separation anxiety. It’s a concern shared by 73% of pet owners across the UK, and navigating a return to the office while caring for a pet is an increasingly common conundrum, with some 3.2 million people in the UK having acquired new pets during the pandemic. Current estimates suggest that 59% of UK households include one or more pets. 

Analysing data across a range of criteria, new research by Revolent has found that Scotland ranks best for working people with pets by a significant margin. Categories included pet-friendly offices and co-working spaces, alongside practical essentials like vets and pet supply stores. This data was then considered against population density to assess competition and relative accessibility by region. With 696,000 UK households either wanting or planning to relocate as of April 2022, this new research could help pet parents figure out their long-term plans. 

Rank 

Country 

Pet-friendly score* 

Scotland 

27 

Wales 

50 

England 

76 

Northern Ireland 

100 

*A lower number represents better access to facilities, weighed up against population density. 

The study also reveals that, although England has the most pet-friendly facilities across numerous categories, its population density means higher competition to access those spaces. In this context, facilities in Scotland, while fewer overall, are much more accessible to working people with pets. 

President of Revolent, Nabila Salem, commented that “increasingly, people are considering work and life in much more holistic terms where they’re aiming for a better, healthier integration of the two. For pet parents, it’s vital to be able to access pet care services whenever needed. But beyond this, people may also be looking for places to live and work where their pets can be more present in the day-to-day  life”. 

Methodology 

This study used research data to identify the top countries within the United Kingdom to balance work and life with your pets. The criteria included pet-friendly offices and co-working spaces, places to eat out with your pet, take them for exercise, pet supply stores and vets, as well as residential spaces that allow pets. 

The data collected came from a number of free and public sources of information. Data relating to jobs with “pet-friendly” and “dog-friendly” offices was collected from www.indeed.co.uk using a data scraper. Data relating to the number of co-working spaces was collected from www.liquidspace.co.uk. The number of pet-friendly residential spaces was sourced from www.zoopla.co.uk. The number of pet-friendly hotels was gathered using Google Hotel Search. 

Data for the following categories came from www.dogfriendly.co.uk 

 

  • pet-friendly cafés 
  • pet-friendlily beaches 
  • pet supply stores 
  • veterinary practices 

 

Once the data had been collected, the result from each category was then compared against the population of each country to determine the average number of people to every pet-friendly facility. This yielded an overall ranking for how much competition there might be for access to these facilities. The data was also analysed to determine which country of the UK performed best for each category based on the raw data collected. To calculate the overall pet-friendly score, the total average score for each country was divided by n (n=2909.19). 

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Latest Stories

View all

A Hyperactive Dog Running

The Night-time Riddle of Restless Dogs and How to Solve It

If you've found yourself asking, "Why is my dog restless at night time?" you're not alone. Many pet owners grapple with dogs that pace, whine, or appear hyper when the household winds down for the night. This blog post will...

Read more

A scared Corgi being held by a man

Fear of Men in Dogs: Definition, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Dogs are often known for their loyalty, friendliness, and ability to become a best friend to humans. Some dogs, however, struggle with specific fears - including a fear of men. This condition, also known as androphobia in dogs, can be...

Read more

Dogo App Review: Revolutionising Dog Training One Bark at a Time

Dogo App Review: Revolutionising Dog Training One Bark at a Time

In a world where our furry friends are more than pets—they're family, finding the right tools to help them learn and grow is paramount. That's where the Dogo app steps in, a platform that claims to redefine the dog training...

Read more