Overview
- The Happy Place Index draws on responses from more than 5,000 dog owners and weights animal goods and social goods at 40% each, with individual goods at 20%.
- Plymouth leads the rankings, followed by Liverpool and Belfast, while Cambridge sits lowest despite overall scores remaining above 6 out of 10 nationwide.
- The survey reports dogs are left alone for about five hours on average, exceeding Dogs Trust guidance of a four-hour maximum due to anxiety risks.
- London performs strongly on animal goods such as access to vets and groomers but fares worse on social measures linked to long commutes, smaller flats and heavy workloads.
- Owners show strong commitment to care, with about 72% prioritising their dog’s health over their own and 67% cancelling plans to stay home with their pets.