Westfield London opening festive dog drop-off service

Westfield London will be opening the new Merry Mutts Hotel this week, offering a festive dog drop-off service, so busy owners can take advantage of longer shopping hours without feeling the guilt of leaving their furry companions at home.

The festive haven for dogs opens on December 4 until December 8, one of the busiest shopping periods for the shopping centre, and follows new research revealing that over three quarters (76 percent) of dog owners are looking for unique festivities for their pets to enjoy.

Westfield has teamed up with doggy day care experts Urban Mutts to provide the unique service, where dogs will be able to relax in a cosy winter cabin where they can socialise with other dogs while enjoying a range of Christmas treats including gifts from Santa Paws and learning fun new tricks and games with expert trainers and all dogs will have the chance to take a festive walk with the Merry Mutts Minders.

Pop up will donate to Wild at Heart Foundation

Located in Westfield Square at Westfield London, adjacent to the centre’s first-ever Christmas market the Winter Village, the service will raise funds for Wild at Heart Foundation with 100 percent of donations going towards the charity’s work in international dog rescue and adoption projects, neutering programmes and research into new sterilisation techniques.

The study of 1,000 Brits revealed that over a third (36 percent) of owners spend more time away from their dogs over the festive season by almost three hours on average, with late night Christmas shopping (55 percent), busy social schedules (38 percent) and office parties (20 percent) leading to longer time away from home. It’s no surprise that over two-thirds (67 percent) state that they feel a sense of guilt for doing so given the increasing role that dogs play in our lives.

The research also noted that shopping centres were the main place Brits wanted to see more doggy day care services to look after their pets (49 percent), followed by workplaces (37 percent) and hotels (35 percent).

Myf Ryan, chief marketing officer Europe and group director of brand and strategic marketing for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield said in a statement: “The Merry Mutts Motel at the Winter Village Market, Westfield London was created to provide a unique service for our customers and help alleviate the pressures of finding dog care throughout the Christmas period. We are really thrilled to be launching this activation with Urban Mutts, to ensure not only our visitors’ can relax and enjoy their visit whilst their dogs are cared for, but to raise funds for Wild at Heart Foundation, supporting the great work they do.”

Images: courtesy of Westfield London