Bury St Edmunds in Dog Friendly Town Finals 2025

Bury St Edmunds has made the finals of the Dog Friendly Awards 2025 in the Most Dog Friendly Town/City category.

Last year the town scooped first prize and was named the UK’s Most Dog Friendly Town.

The awards run by Dog Friendly Magazine, will take place at The Kennel Club HQ, in London, on Thursday, November 20.

The three finalists are Bury St Edmunds, Cockermouth, and Keswick.

The town has had its own Dog Friendly Bury St Edmunds scheme for the last five years to let visitors know where you can bring your four-legged pal. More than 150 businesses are signed up.

Wherever the #dogfriendlybse paw print logo sticker is displayed in windows, businesses will welcome dogs in a town-wide and beyond initiative from Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Camp Tails Doggy Daycare, Our Bury St Edmunds BID (Business Improvement District) and Bury St Edmunds and Beyond. 

Dog Friendly businesses in the town centre are also marked with a blue paw on the Our Bury St Edmunds BID town map.

With dog-friendly accommodation, cafes and restaurants, plus attractions and days out that your pooch will love, the historic town and surrounding towns and villages are the ideal place to enjoy a short break or holiday with every member of the family – including the furry variety.

The DogFriendly Awards is an opportunity to recognise and reward dog friendly places and pet businesses that go the extra mile for the benefit of the UK’s 12.5 million dogs and their owners.

Winners of the DogFriendly Awards in each of the categories are chosen by public vote.

Chief executive of Our Bury St Edmunds BID, Mark Cordell said: “We were absolutely delighted that we won the UK’s Most Dog Friendly Town award last year and I am very pleased we are finalists this year.

“The town has always been an authentically dog friendly place to visit but thanks to the dog friendly scheme, started by Jon Kay, at Camp Tails Doggy Daycare and Bury St Edmunds Town Council, people can see easily and clearly which venues they can take their dog into.

“It also hasn’t escaped my notice that the winners are being announced on St Edmund’s Day this year, let’s hope that’s a good omen.”

The town now also has dog friendly film screenings at Abbeygate Cinema, dog friendly tours of the town, and even an annual dogs of the cathedral calendar for St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

To find out more about Dog Friendly Bury St Edmunds visit www.dogfriendlybse.co.uk 

To find out more about the awards visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/awards