DOG ownership soared during lockdown and with pet owners now looking to take their beloved pooches with them on holiday as restrictions ease, Rhayader has been named as the No1 dog-friendly destination in Wales.

Insight from the world’s largest holiday rentals search engine, HomeToGo, shows just how dedicated to their canine companions Brits have become, with holidaymakers looking for accommodation using the ‘pets allowed’ search filter accounting for almost half of all searches on HomeToGo.co.uk in 2021 so far.

To help dog owners new and old avoid a ruff trip where providers have a strict ‘no pets’ policy, HomeToGo has found the best UK destinations with the highest percentages of pet-friendly holiday homes, with Rhayader coming top of the pile for Wales. It’s no surprise really with Rhayader nestled in the heart of the picturesque countryside, with the stunning Elan Valley a magical place for both mutt and man, or woman, alike.

Full top ten lists for Wales, Scotland and England have all been researched.

Britain’s dog population rose by a reported two million during the pandemic, and with the peak holiday season fast approaching, many new owners are now in the process of planning their first holiday with a pet. For such individuals, the RSPCA offered some sage advice: “ensure your accommodation and the places you wish to visit during your stay are dog-friendly”.

Insight from HomeToGo happily suggests that new dog owners are doing just that, with 46 per cent of all searches so far this year using the ‘pets allowed’ filter. This is a huge uplift in comparison to 2019, when just over a quarter (28 per cent) of searches selected this option.

This increase moves the UK up a massive nine places on the leaderboard of nations most devoted to their dogs when it comes to holiday accommodation, from 12th place in 2019 to third in 2021, now behind only Australia (67 per cent) and Italy (47 per cent).

So here are the top destinations for dog-friendly holiday cottages in…

WALES

1 Rhayader, Powys

2 Laugharne, Carmarthenshire

3 Rhosneigr, Anglesey

4 Llanbedrog, Gwynedd

5 Llangollen, Denbighshire

6 Dolgellau, Gwynedd

7 Harlech, Gwynedd

8 Betws-y-Coed, Conwy

9 Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire

10 Beaumaris, Anglesey

ENGLAND

1 Elterwater

2 Portinscale

3 Brockenhurst

4 Appledore

5 St Agnes

6 Symonds Yat

7 Porlock

8 Staithes

9 Braunton

10 Crantock

SCOTLAND

1 Kenmore

2 Portpatrick

3 Kelso

4 Kingussie

5 Fort Augustus

6 Grantown-on-Spey

7 Aviemore

8 Crieff

9 Wick

10 Callander