Holidays with Dogs

Wheelchair-Friendly Holidays with Dogs

The New Forest is a wonderful area for dog walking, with miles of forest and beach paths to explore. Guests often ask whether we accept dogs. The answer is yes, but with some important conditions to ensure comfort and safety for all guests.

Which cottages allow dogs at Our Bench?

For pet dogs, Garden Bench is our only suitable property, as it has an enclosed private garden.

Why are dogs restricted to Garden Bench?

Little Bench and Bench Cottage are semi detached properties and share an internal wall, as well as a garden - if is not fair if you have come away for a quiet holiday to be disturbed by an animal in an unfamiliar enviroment. We also accommodate guests with medical challenges, allergies - so we aim to minimise the risk to those guests by encouraging even accessible dogs to stay in Garden Bench - if facilities allow.

We are legally required to accommodate assistance dogs as a UK business. However, we must be informed of any dog staying with you, regardless of type, due to allergies affecting ourselves, staff, and other guests. In some circumstances, we may need to refuse an assistance dog in Little Bench or Bench Cottage if it poses a potential risk to other guests.

What should guests know before bringing a dog?

All pet dogs are subject to an additional fee of £100 per week and the following conditions:

• Dogs must not be left unattended in the property.
• Dogs must not climb on furniture.
• Dogs must toilet outdoors only, and this must be cleaned up immediately.

Service and Assistance Dogs

Service dogs are exempt from the pet fee but are still subject to the above conditions. We must be informed at the time of booking, and we require evidence of training or registration.

According to the Equality Act 2010 (Section 173), an assistance dog is defined as:

• A dog trained to guide a blind person.
• A dog trained to assist a deaf person.
• A dog trained by a prescribed charity to assist a disabled person with epilepsy or a disability affecting mobility, coordination, or dexterity.
• A dog of a prescribed category trained to assist a disabled person with another type of disability.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission states that assistance dogs:

• Are highly trained and under full control of their owner.
• Will not wander freely around premises.
• Will sit or lie quietly on the floor next to their owner.
• Are trained to toilet on command and are unlikely to foul in public places.
• Are identifiable by their harness or jacket.

Assistance dogs typically undergo up to two years of training before working with their partner, and we ask for evidence of this. Source: Assistance Dogs UK . Unfortunately, due to previous experiences, we need to be strict on this, as not every dog that travels with a disabled guest has been trained to the same high standards.

Booking Form

If you are bringing a dog, please complete our Pet Booking Form . We can recommend plenty of wheelchair-friendly dog walks to help you make the most of your stay.

For your convenience, we provide towels for muddy paws and a garden hose on the patio if needed. Alternatively, there are self-service dog washes locally, including:

• The Old Dairy Workshops, 44 Milford Road, Lymington SO41 8DU
• Highcliffe Castle Car Park, Highcliffe, Christchurch BH23 4LD – ideal after a beach walk
• Dog Wash, 189 Long Lane, Holbury, Hardley, Southampton SO45 2PA

Holidays with Other Animals

Due to staff allergies, we cannot accept cats, house-trained rabbits, birds, or hamsters. If these animals are found on the premises, guests will forfeit their cleaning retainer and the remainder of their holiday and will be asked to leave immediately.

Emotional Support Animals

Emotional support animals are assessed on a case-by-case basis. If accepted, they are subject to the same conditions as pet dogs:

• They must not be left unattended in the property.
• They must not toilet indoors.
• They must not climb on furniture.

Emotional support animals are subject to the same additional £100 non-refundable weekly fee as pet dogs.

Nearest Dog Walks

The nearest places to walk your dog during your stay include:

• Head out of the drive and turn left. Before Pennington Club, a driveway leads into Pennington Recreation Field. This is a large, level grass playing field that is rarely muddy. Dogs can be off lead.
• Head out of the drive and turn right. At the end of the road, turn right again into a private tarmac lane. Ponies are sometimes seen on the right. Towards the end of the lane, a footpath leads onto a circular walk. A RADAR key is required for gates. Accessibility depends on season and weather, as paths can become muddy. View route .
• Head out of the drive, turn right, then at the end of the road turn left. Opposite you will find Pennington Common. Follow information boards and worn paths to enjoy local history and wildlife. Suitable for a short dog walk but not recommended for most wheelchairs due to grassy terrain.
• We can suggest further walks on our walking page.

Our Dog

Matt and Helen have their own dog, Sparky. He is a very friendly Border Collie who loves playing ball and is pictured in some of the photos above. Sparky enjoys forest walks, trips to the sea, and time on the water, and he is great at paddle boarding.

Sparky does not live on site but does sometimes visit guests, as he loves playing ball. He also has his own Facebook page sharing his adventures: Sparky .