The Festival presents a unique opportunity to meet and connect with more than 800 beautiful dogs and learn more about our wonderful canine companions and we have worked hard to ensure that this is under controlled conditions for the safety and welfare of dogs and people.
We could never deliver this level of care to visitor dogs, especially as we expect around 30,000 people to attend again and over 90% of our visitors own one or more dogs. We would also need to test the behaviour of every dog prior to entry and review their vaccination certificates which would just not be possible.
Added to this is, of course, the issue of where dogs would do their ‘business’ in an indoor venue; the smell/mess; how to clean it up; and the queues and frustration this would all create. As a family-friendly event, the Festival also welcomes a lot of kids and, as we all know, it’s impossible to predict, let alone control, the behaviour of all children (i.e. tail pulling and hug tackles!) so allowing visitors’ dogs would be just too dangerous.
For these reasons, and because we love and respect dogs, we have a policy of not allowing visitors’ fur-kids at the Show.
Please don’t tie-up your dog outside the Festival, and never leave them locked in a car. Any visitors leaving an unattended dog outside the venue, or in cars around the precinct, will be reported to authorities immediately. If visitors do arrive with their pooch, the only option will be to return home, drop off the dog, then return to the Show.
Rest assured that there are hundreds of dogs to meet at the Festival, and your pooch will love you even more for attending as you’ll go home packed with all the latest goodies to reward them and understand so much more about what makes them happy and healthy!
Please note: Visitors with accredited Assistance or Service Dogs are able to bring their dogs into the Festival. To receive entry into the Dog Lovers Festival you will need to provide evidence that your Assistance Dog is formally trained to help you manage your disability. If your dog has a PTV pass, that is sufficient evidence.
Thank you for your understanding!