Paw patrol: Ulster venue is top dog in new grading system

Located in Lower Lough Erne, the resort has been awarded gold in a newly introduced Paw Grading Programme (Pets are Welcome) for dog friendly venues across the UK and Ireland.

Jo Crossley of Dog Friendly NI is behind the innovative programme, having spent an intense year developing and working on the audit criteria and trademarking her unique initiative.

Formerly a director of sales and marketing in the hotel sector, Jo has combined her passion for dog friendly venues with her knowledge of the sector to create the programme with dog owners’ needs in mind. The scheme is akin to the star rating system delivered in the hotel sector, and will be further developed in the coming months.

‘‘Dogs are now considered members of the family and, with that, the needs and demands of owners have changed dramatically in the last few years,” said Jo. “Owners expect more than an outside bench and an algae-encrusted metal bowl of water.’’

She said the grading programme would give dog owners an ‘‘easy reference guide to venues they wish to visit”.

Nina Kelly of Lusty Beg Island said: ‘‘We have put a lot of thought into creating a true dog friendly venue for dogs and their owners to enjoy.

“Working with Jo has been very straight forward and the process requires our commitment to ensure the service is consistent for each guest. We love dogs here at Lusty Beg Island and we look forward to welcoming them all!”

There are three levels of grading for the dog friendly hotel sector:- bronze, silver and gold. Venues must meet the criteria for each level during an onsite audit.