“The bond with a dog is as lasting as the ties of this Earth can ever be
”
Help save Nicky’s Life - Support Her Cancer Treatment
Watch BBC interview: dorsetdogs.com/press
Nicky (along with her beloved dog, Merlin) is the Founder and Ambassador of our not-for-profit, Dog Friendly Dorset and Merlin’s Pet Food Banks.
In February 2025, after more than a year of pain and several misdiagnoses, Nicky was given the news: she has Stage 3 lung cancer. She is a non-smoker and her cancer is extremely rare — a form called NSCLC squamous with an EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation.
We are now urgently raising £80,000 to fund the private treatments Nicky desperately needs to survive. She wants to continue to serve our animals and humans in the community she created. The NHS does not currently fund the combination of curative treatments (the clinical evidence is in place but not the funding) needed and Nicky is running out of time. Standalone treatment is palliative only.
Play Dates, Courses & Dog Friendly places
Your dogs’ support & wellness hub.
Welcome to Dog Friendly Dorset
“This dog community is how the world should be..... compassionate, supportive, generous and informative” Sarah McEnnerney-Stevens
Our goal is to raise awareness of just how extraordinary the relationship between humans and dogs is and the life changing affects it can have to both sides. Dogs help us humans with our mental, emotional and physical health. Dogs’ don’t have a voice and we want to support their wellbeing within the community. Making Dorset as dog friendly as possible.
This is your ‘directory of dog’.
In 2023 we created 12 Pet Food Banks in 12 months - across Dorset to support this important connection between human and dog. We are a not-for-profit, fundraising to help in the welfare of dogs.
You can help us to help dogs and pets in Dorset by becoming a member £2/month BECOME A MEMBER
And do join Dog Friendly Dorset our Facebook group.
PLEASE DONATE & SUPPORT OUR NOT-FOR-PROFIT and come along to play dates and walks organised by members of DFD. Once you donate you receive the link to join in.
Dog Friendly Dorset is a constituted group. See About Us
MERLIN’s PET FOOD BANKS!
Access-to-all physical Pet Food Banks!
Helping to keep families together during this cost-of-living crisis. Because pets are family.
THANK YOU TO THE LOCAL BUSINESSES WHO SUPPORT US:
PETITIONS:
Members of the Dog Friendly Dorset Facebook group have set up petitions. One is to allow dogs on beaches earlier in September and there’s a Foxtails/Grass Seeds Log and a Fireworks petition. Dorset Dogs CIC is in no way affiliated with these petitions and simply direct you to the change.org links below.
“The power of kindness goes a long way especially when things are tough ❤️ We had our own act of kindness given to us today from a member of this group. One simple act that means so much and will always be remembered ”
NEWS
Muffin is home. This is what our community on Facebook is all about x
Muffin
“I applaud you all for all you do for us dog parents. You have made my obsessive dog loving life so much better ❤️”
Copyright Dorset Dogs CIC 2017-2025
“Have lived in quite a few towns but this has to be the best dog group I’ve seen. Thank you to all who spend time and share your knowledge to make this such a great group x” Pauline Batten
Dog Friendly Dorset is a not-for-profit constituted group
All content on this website is Copyright 2017-2026 Dog Friendly Dorset