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During the Summer, I had a free couple of hours, so decided to head in to Hitchin with my black lab Jasper to check out just how dog-friendly Hitchin is…the answer being very! So many families in Hitchin have dogs and it’s often hard to find somewhere you can take the dog and the kids. I was really surprised at just how many places allow (and welcome!) dogs in Hitchin, and I always planned to do an article to share the places we went to.
As you may know, we sadly had to have Jasper put to sleep in July 2022 (probably only a month after this little trip) as he had an inoperable tumour, and at the time I said I would publish a guide in memory of my amazing boy we had for 6 1/2 years, so here we go.
My inspiration for doing this trip came from discovering a really great local Facebook group called Dog-friendly Hitchin, where you can find a regularly-updated list of all the dog-friendly places they’re aware of in Hitchin- at last count there were over 80 in central Hitchin and the surrounding area!
So where did we go?
First thumbs (or is it paws?) up goes to Millets, who had a dog-friendly sign and water bowls!
Brookers is dog-friendly, which is really handy for using the Post Office too...it also makes queuing a lot less cumbersome when you have dogs to meet!
The Dog’s Trust charity shop was definitely Jasper’s favourite stop as he got such a warm welcome…and most importantly- treats!
Treat Yo’ Self was a surprise dog-welcoming shop to me, which was great news as I love it in there!
Vinegar Hill welcomes dogs too- just watch those waggy tails with their beautiful gifts- my boy’s tail was lethal with anything at tail height!
Superdrug was another surprise dog-friendly shop, but super handy to be able to take him in and grab a drink before heading to the park for a rest
He loved watching the world go by alongside the River in front of St Mary’s Church. An obvious dog-friendly spot, although keep that lead tight to avoid duck chasing!
Back on our trail, WH Smith welcomes dogs.
Fat Face is another pup-friendly place if you want to have a browse.
High five to White Stuff with a bowl of water outside and welcoming to dogs inside.
Back in Ickleford, we had a quick walk on the Rec ground and a slurp from the water bowl outside the dog-friendly Plume of Feathers pub and headed home.
This is by no means an extensive list of dog-friendly places in Hitchin- you’ll find them all (and can suggest more) on the local Facebook group Dog-friendly Hitchin, but I hope this gives more local dog owners the confidence to know that Hitchin is very welcoming of our four-legged friends!
Written in loving memory of my gorgeous boy Jasper x
