Sunrise Senior Living of Chorleywood – the dog-friendly care home for the elderly – has proved it is top dog by winning an award in the Kennel Club’s prestigious Open for Dogs Competition 2011.

The care home, in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, who lead the way in their approach to welcoming dogs into their premises, were nominated by the public in the annual competition’s ‘Care Home’ category, beating other successful care home across the country to scoop the top award, which will be presented to them in a ceremony at Discover Dogs at Earls Court, London, on 12-13 November.

Sunrise Senior Living of Chorleywood’s appreciation of their canine-loving residents has paid off, as nominations came in to support them, helping them to beat the stiff competition. One member of the public who nominated Sunrise Senior Living of Chorleywood commented on the ‘exemplary’ attitude the facility and its staff have on the inclusion of man’s best friend.      

The care home joined businesses up and down the country to compete for an accolade in this year’s competition, and with over 10,000 canine-canny businesses listed on the Open for Dogs website – powered by Dog Friendly – the competition was fiercely fought.     

Carol Elligott, Activities Coordinator at Sunrise Senior Living, said: “Residents are allowed to bring their pets to the care home when they take up residential care. There are circumstances where pets aren’t allowed, however providing the pet is sensible and adapts well then they are able to move.

“All of the dogs are risk assessed beforehand but so far we haven’t had any problems. It is so important for dogs to be allowed to live at the care home as many of the animals have been with their owners for a long time and are a huge part of their life.

“For the 4 years we have been open we have always known the importance that dogs have with their owners and we make every effort to make sure both dog and owner stay together.

“We are so thankful to everyone who nominated us as it has really made a difference.”

“Sunrise Senior Living of Chorleywood is the perfect example of how a human’s bond with their canine-companion is a very difficult one to break, and that being canine-savvy works wonders for businesses and can bring success in many different ways. We are very much looking forward to welcoming Sunrise Senior Living of Chorleywood to collect their prize at Discover Dogs in November.”

The Kennel Club’s Open for Dogs campaign aims to break down barriers for man’s best friend by encouraging more businesses to be dog-friendly. The value of an Open for Dogs policy is supported by research released today by the Kennel Club that shows that dog owners are more likely to splash the cash than cat owners and those who own neither, leading businesses to court the ‘hound pound’[1].

The research has shown that dog owners are almost twice as likely as those without a dog to regularly visit their local shops and stores, with a quarter saying that they regularly frequent them and half saying that they would use them even more if their dog could go too. And it is not only businesses that benefit from dog owners’ generosity – it is also their friends - as dog owners are more likely than cat owners to buy the rounds in at the pub and almost twice as likely to buy in the rounds as people who own neither pet.

The Kennel Club has also found that 95 percent of people think more businesses and locations should be Open for Dogs, and that dogs improve the atmosphere of a place², and 77 percent think that dogs help to reduce stress.³

The Open for Dogs Competition is in its fourth year and the public were invited to nominate places that they thought were pulling out the stops to accommodate our canine companions with innovative services or simply a bowl of clean water and the promise of a friendly smile. The categories were: Somewhere on the HIGH STREET; Somewhere to SLEEP; Somewhere to DRINK; Somewhere to EAT; Somewhere to VISIT; Somewhere to WORK; Somewhere to HOLIDAY and CARE HOMES.

The winners of the Open for Dogs competition will receive their prizes at the Kennel Club’s Discover Dogs event, on 12-13 November at Earls Court, London.