The best UK cities for pampered pooches

Care.com reveals the city which can claim the crown for the most coiffured and cared for pets in the UK

In the UK dogs are most definitely man’s (and woman’s) best friend, with more than 5 million dogs living across the nation. From fabulous frenchies to pampered poodles, the British not only love spending time with their canine companions, but also enjoy spoiling them too. But where in the UK do dogs have access to the best services, from groomers to sitters? Research from Care.com has compared 39 cities from across the country, looking at the number of pet shops, dog groomers and dog sitters per dog in these destinations, to reveal which towns are offering top notch doggy care for all their pooches’ needs.

Sunderland tops the rankings with the most dog groomers and pet shops in the UK

The research reveals that it is in fact Sunderland that has the most pet shops and dog groomers per dog in the UK, suggesting that canines in this city steal the crown for the most pampered pooches in Britain. Huddersfield is hot on their tails however, with the second highest concentration of pet shops. At the back of the pack is Portsmouth which is consistently low across the board offering very few canine services to its dog population of nearly 170,000 dogs, with Derby, Cambridge and Oxford also ranking low down the list.

However, while pet shops and groomers are certainly important when it comes to pampering pooches, a key consideration for most dog owners is also being able to access reputable dog sitters in their local area. Keeping their dogs groomed and glossy is great, but making sure their dogs are happy and well cared for, even when the family are away from home, is a priority. This is where the capital has the advantage, with London having the highest density of dog sitters in the UK, closely followed by Manchester and Liverpool.

How much are people really spending on their canine counterparts?

As many dog owners will admit, their dogs are almost as important to them as their children or partners and the money they spend on them reflects this. Often regarded as another member of the family, dogs are cherished for their unwavering loyalty and for being consistently happy to see you when you arrive home. In return, pet owners are showering their pooches with love and care, with many taking their dogs regularly to the groomers for a doggy spa session, or else lavishing them with gifts from the pet shop, be that the latest new chew toy, or a glitzy new collar and lead combination. But just how much do people spend on their pets and what are the pet care services they are using? Care.com investigates in the video below.

Methodology

The ranking compares all cities in the United Kingdom with more than 150,000 inhabitants* and is based on three categories: Dog sitters, groomers and pet shops.

• The dog sitters are based on the number of dog care providers registered at Care.com in 2017, who applied for at least one job.
• The groomers and pet shops refer to the number of entries at Yell.com in June 2018 (keywords: “dog and cat grooming” and “pet shops”). Research was completed and data sourced by Care.com independently.
• The numbers were calculated as a ratio to the number of dogs (source: Animal and Plant Health Agency, June 2018). The more dog sitters, groomers and pet shops a city has, the better the city scores in the ranking.

The indicators were weighted using interpolation. For this purpose, the metrics were normalized with a scale from 0 to 100. An additional weighting of certain categories in the final ranking has not been applied. The analysis was purely descriptive.

*Due to incomplete datasets, the cities of Belfast, Kingston upon Hull, Luton, Middlesbrough and Poole were not included.

The best cities for pampered pooches