Mini has announced a new partnership with leading charity Dogs Trust that welcome pooches to the brand’s showrooms and also develop a range of features to help make travel safer and more comfortable for dogs.
There are thought to be 12.5 million dogs across the UK, with demand for pets skyrocketing in the past 18 months while more people have been working at home. One in three UK homes are now thought to have a dog, too.
And Mini is out to make sure that dogs’ views aren’t sidelined, which is why by 2022 all the brand’s UK showrooms will be dog-friendly, with bowls, mats and other features set to be introduced to its retailers. Mini also says its work with Dogs Trust will enable the firm to ‘educate consumers on best practices for happy dog car journeys’.
David George, director of Mini UK, said: “With more dogs in families now than ever before, we want to help make sure they travel safely and enjoy the ride. It’s just as important to us that our four-legged customers love being in a Mini as much as the drivers do and we have had a lot of fun letting dogs of all shapes and sizes put our cars through the ultimate tail-wagging tests.
“As our partnership continues we are really looking forward to working with Dogs Trust to help us support our MINI and dog-loving customers across the car buying and ownership journey, as we strive to become the UK’s first officially dog-friendly car retailer.”
Mini already stocks a range of dog accessories, and will only elevate this choice in the coming years. Though the brand’s cars might be known for being compact, larger models like the Clubman hatchback and Countryman SUV are well-suited to dog owners.
