Service stations across the country have been ranked by drivers to highlight where owners should stop – and where to avoid – when their dog needs to stretch its legs while travelling to visit family and friends over the festive period.
It follows research revealing the average dog owner plans to travel 111 miles with their furry friend to share festive fun with loved ones this Christmas.
Although, 74 per cent of the 1,852 dog owners who travel with their pooches polled have concerns about where they can stop safely to let their four-legged animal burn off some energy.
The study was conducted by CarStore, which also created a useful Pooch Pitstop Planner tool that automatically generates potential pitstops.
Kim Costello said: “Our dogs are our family too, and making concessions for them while travelling is important.
“We have no doubt that all stops on our list of motorway services cater in some way to the needs of our four-legged friends, but other factors such as a calm atmosphere, space to walk away from the road and, importantly, places to go to the toilet, make some stations more suitable than others.
“The service station voted the best by dog owners, Killington Lake near Kendall, boasts picturesque green space purposely situated far away from the motorway, a pretty picnic area, and a dog friendly approach.”
Dog-friendly motorway services
Of those respondents who plan to travel in the car with their dogs over the Christmas period, 72 per cent will make at least one stop every two hours to let their pooch stretch their legs.
And a conscientious 43 per cent will plan their route with breaks in mind for their pups at reasonable intervals.
This is above and beyond the planning they would typically need to do, with 61 per cent admitting they stop more often with their dog in the
