2022
Are you an animal lover? Do you have a pet that feels like part of the family? Today is National Pet Day in several countries around the world and a great day to show love to your furry companion wherever you are.
If you’re a dog parent, Google Maps can help you find a suitable spot to celebrate. Simply search for “pet-friendly restaurants” or “pet-friendly hotels,” or head to the About section on a business listing to check for the “Dogs allowed” feature. The best part: you can add this feature yourself and make it easy for other pet owners to uncover some real gems!
For Local Guide @BarkingMice, her two dogs are family. Snug in their stroller or trotting along, Donder, a 14-year-old white Westie, and Dingus, an 11-year-old black cairn terrier, go on every adventure with their owners. Here’s how Local Guide Barking Mice uses Google Maps to find and share dog-friendly spots in Europe.
What do you like about being a Local Guide and a dog parent?
I love being a Local Guide because it allows me to share my experiences and help others discover pet-friendly places. Being a dog parent brings immense joy and companionship into my life. I’ve been a dog lover all my life, and to me, my dogs are family. They always accompany me and my husband when traveling. We love to explore and find dog-friendly restaurants, whether in Germany, where we currently reside, or during our travels to Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, or France.
How does Google Maps help you find places that are pet-friendly?
I use Google Maps to search for restaurants or places to visit in the area where I am. If the listing has a website, I’ll use that information to look for dog-friendliness. I wasn’t aware that Maps has a feature allowing me to directly check whether my dogs are allowed in a specific location, but I will definitely try it out as it seems to be a valuable tool for pet owners.
How do you help others discover pet-friendly places through your contributions?
I share reviews and photos highlighting a place’s amenities and welcoming atmosphere for dogs. My favorite contribution to a pet-friendly place is my review of Le Perron in Wageningen, the Netherlands. It’s a French-style bakery with delicious bread where dogs and their parents can socialize.
Local Guides, have you ever added the “Dogs allowed” feature? What’s your favorite pet-friendly place? Let us know below!
Oh I so love this @BarkingMice post Deni. Am I an animal lover? Oh you'd better believe it LOL. I always look out for pet-friendly features at places I visit and where I can I use the Maps add this feature which unfortunately you can only do on mobile.
Check out the café shown in the pic below, that provides customers' dogs with their own drinking bowl. Now that's hard to beat LOL. Well done Barking Mice 😀
Well it is and it isn't @DeniGu! The café is in a prime location and while the bowl idea is a major attraction for dog lovers, the prices are on the high side and the coffee served there isn't the best and together with the not so good service from a very transient wait staff, leaves a lot to be desired there, reflected in the Maps review summary (see screenshot below), so much so that we haven't been there for years and opt to go to a neighbouring café which, while not so dog-friendly, offers much better coffee and service. I have since heard that the first café I mentioned has had several changes in management since then. Perhaps one day we should give it another try and update our review 🤔
Adorable photos @AdamGT and thank you @DeniGu . We love highlights and exceptional local guides getting featured on connect.
Incidentally I lost that guy to a funny virus 2 days ago. I love pets too. He was 9 years old but very active.
That said pet friendly places are not common here in west Africa. I'll take not of them hence. Wonder could we have another challenge on pet friendly place @DeniGu ?
Happy guiding
Cheers
Hello, Googler friend, @DeniGu,
To be frank with you, this concept is not yet popular in India; I have recently visited two 5 star hotels and when checked about pets - their answer was 'Sorry'.
On a Google search, I found a couple of hotels in Bangalore which were shown as pet friendly - however when I called them up they told they will arrange pets at a different place (not at the hotel).
Of course, 'Accessibility' like wheelchair, blind person, etc are really becoming popular.
Regards from Bangalore, India
🙏🌹🤝
Oh how sad @TravellerG that pet-friendly establishments are not yet popular in India. It's by any chance because being predominantly Hindus in India that the main pets are more likely to be cows?
We have a pet rabbit called Kuro who is our family member but that rarely poses a problem taking him along to restaurants in a cage or our laps @DeniGu.
Most hotels and food joints would not mind carrying a rabbit inside their premises.
Many curious onlookers would pet the rabbit or try to feed him.
And they are surprised when our rabbit shatters all stereotypes by consuming everything from noodles, bread, cake, and chocolates while people try to feed him salads, like cucumber and carrots 😁 No doubt, Kuro has gained a lot of weight recently 😊
I was not aware of marking Pet-friendly places on Google Maps.
I will revisit all recent places where we took our rabbit and mark them accordingly 🐰
"...pet-friendly establishments are not yet popular in India..."
Yes, very true... however, these are the trends which have pick up in the last few decades...right? Let's wait and give some time..
"...in India that the main pets are more likely to be cows?..."
No, definitely not...
Like our @Tushar_Suradkar mentioned, friendly rabbits may be allowed at some restaurants...(Yet see one in Bangalore}.
But, there is a huge number of pet-parents in India... In fact the pet caring population has increased multiple fold in the recent years... I have frequently seen dogs, parrots (birds) and rabbits as pets at many houses.
Nowadays, many cities and towns have paid kennels even with qualified animal husbandry doctors...
(Of course there maybe pet cows/bulls also...).
Thanks for your quick response, dear @AdamGT ...
🙏
