Bring the dog — where they can come, and where they can’t
Yes, we are a dog-friendly day out. No, the dog cannot come round the animals — and that difference is worth two minutes of your time before you set off.
Plenty of you ask, so here is the honest answer in one line: the dog is welcome here, but not everywhere here.
Where dogs can go
Dogs on leads are welcome on the hill walk, around the ponds, and in the Dizzy Duck Café. That is a proper walk with a proper view — open hillside looking out across Strathearn, the same ground our red deer herd grazes, and a coffee at the end of it.
Where they can’t
Dogs are not permitted in the main zoo area. That is not a rule we enjoy enforcing, and it is not about your dog’s behaviour. Our animals are prey species and rescued natives — wildcats, red squirrels, lemurs, meerkats — and the scent and sound of a dog reads to them as a predator on the ground. Keeping them out of that space is part of the welfare standard that comes with being a licensed zoo.
So if the plan is to see the animals, the dog is better off at home. If the plan is a walk with a view and a cake, bring them.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs are a different matter and we will always do our best to accommodate them. Please contact us before your visit so we can talk through your route and make the day work.
And in December, the dog gets their own day out
Our Doggy Grotto puts your dog through the Christmas Wonderland woodland — Mrs Claus, the elves, and a visit to Santa at the end of it, with a gift bag for every pup. It is £10 a dog, and owners go free.
That one is on sale now, and you will find it on our What’s On page.