When it comes to dogs, the West Midlands seems to be ‘barking mad’ for man’s best friend, with two thirds of dog owners in the West Midlands opting to spend an evening with their dogs rather than without, and a half have left a pub that claimed to be dog-friendly but wasn’t. Research by DogBuddy.com; Europe’s leading online dog-sitting and home dog boarding community, also revealed Paul O’Grady (31%) as the area’s favourite dog-owning celebrity.

The results from the survey of more than 2,500 dog owners across the UK also revealed that as a nation, we are almost unanimous that our partners must get along with our dogs, with only 2% claiming that the relationship between spouse and spaniel isn’t important.

For pup parents in the UK, dog walks simply aren’t the same without a stop at the pub, which is why DogBuddy is announcing the launch of its Dog-friendly Pub Awards, to recognise pubs that go that little bit further for our furry friends.

It’s evident that the West Midlands cherishes its four-legged friends, so DogBuddy is encouraging pubs across the region to embrace ‘paw power’ and welcome four legs as well as two. Not only will these ‘pawsome’ awards show some well-deserved appreciation of existing dog-friendly establishments, but also aim to promote dog-friendly values across all pubs in the country, inspiring dog owners to discover and visit their local pubs.

‘We’re delighted to be announcing the launch of our Dog-Friendly Pub Awards, to celebrate the pubs that recognise that our dogs enjoy getting out to their local pub just as much as we do. We value dog welfare and care above all, and these awards will help us to further promote happy lifestyles for both pets and their owners.” says Richard Setterwall, CEO and Founder of DogBuddy.

Voting is open as of Friday 26th August, National Dog Day, and the closing date for the competition is 31st October. If your dog-friendly pub isn’t listed, nominations are open for pubs all over the UK at dogbuddypub.com/add-a-pub