Dogs at motorway services
Motorway service areas see themselves primarily as food retailers, and as a result they are reluctant to allow dogs in their amenity buildings. Exemptions apply for guide dogs.
As road users have fallen even more in love with their dogs, there has been a considerable online movement to encourage service areas to become more dog friendly, especially to assist people who are travelling alone with their dog and can't leave their pet in the car.
Indoor Areas
- Moto announced in July 2022 that well-behaved dogs are allowed inside their buildings to allow their owners to access the toilets, but dogs still must be kept away from the shopping, restaurant and dining areas (see full statement).
- Welcome Break updated their policy in early 2024 to say that "well behaved dogs are welcome in our toilets and seating areas". They had previously (until at least July 2023) firmly insisted that only assistance dogs were allowed in their buildings.
- Roadchef said in late 2022 that you can bring your dog into the building so you can visit the toilets, but not into the catering areas.
- Tebay services say dogs are welcome in their foyer, but no the shop or kitchen areas.
Extra continue to state (as of February 2024) that only assistant dogs are allowed in their buildings. Sites owned by other operators, like EG Group and MFG, tend to be too small to have a foyer area, so are unlikely to be able to accommodate non-assistance dogs.
Outdoor Areas
The quality of outdoor facilities for dog owners varies massively. The older motorway service areas, including the core sections of the M1 and M6, are almost entirely hard surfaced, and visitors would be lucky to find a small grass verge or a bowl of water by the door. Others have designated dog walking areas, some of which are surprisingly good and others will leave you very disappointed.
Most motorway service areas were built with spare land that is earmarked for future expansion. Over time, that land will be turned into more profitable facilities, like extra car parking, coffee shops and hotels. When in doubt, dog owners should look for the hotel, as these may at least have some leftover grass around them. Smaller service areas may be connected by footpath to a residential area, but you should check the parking restrictions before leaving the site.
It goes without saying that dog owners should take extreme care when walking their pets around the car park, especially if they are going to be crossing roads while looking for grass. Even if your dog is well behaved, car drivers are not! There are very few service areas with an area that's safe to let dogs off leads.
Motorway Services Online makes it easy to compare the outdoor facilities at different service areas. You can search for a motorway service area, select a road, and then make sure you tick the "Include: Outdoor Facilities" box at the bottom. This will highlight what dog walking space is available, if any.
On an amusing note, there is one motorway service area in the UK with a dog groomers! Kinross services leases a spare building to a local company for the benefit of local residents.