We welcome well-behaved dogs on a short lead
We're paw-sitively delighted to welcome visitors’ four-legged companions (with a well-behaved owner of course)!
We love animals. Our annual pet blessing service has now featured on TV twice and our Christmas Eve crib services, featuring live animals, attract thousands each year.
Therefore, we will be welcoming dogs both in our beautiful grounds and inside the building.
We're asking visitors to help us to consider whether this becomes permanent by following a few simple guidelines.
Doggy friendly areas
Dogs are welcome in the Cathedral grounds and in the Cathedral itself. Other than assistance dogs it is not possible to take dogs on tours, down to the crypt, up the tower, or other upper reaches spaces or inside the shop or Cloister Café (however they are welcome at café tables in the Cloister or Chapter House*). Assistance dogs are not able to go up the tower due to difficulty with access.
Keep your pet on a short lead
To help us look after the building and the grounds, and ensure all feel safe and welcome, please keep your dog by your side. Much of the Cathedral is hundreds of years old with many valuable and irreplaceable features so please ensure your dog doesn’t chew, scratch or damage any.
Respect other visitors and staff
Not everyone is comfortable with dogs and some people are allergic. Please ensure your dog doesn’t approach other visitors, particularly children.
Poop
Ok, sometimes it happens, even the best trained dogs don’t always go when we want them to! If your dog does have an accident, please clear up after them immediately. Our floors and stone walls are particularly susceptible to damage and could be ruined if not cleaned quickly. Please do not put any mess into the Cathedral bins but remove it from the Cathedral.
Peace
Our Cathedral is a place of peace and calmness. Many people come to the Cathedral to worship and pray, be still and to reflect. Please respect others’ right to quiet. If your dog starts to bark, we ask that you quiet them or take them outside.
Services & Events
Dogs (other than assistance dogs) will not usually be able to attend services, concerts or major events, including our crib service (due to numbers and other animals). If dogs are permitted at an event, then this will be stated on the event information.
Our Staff
Cathedral staff reserve the right to refuse entry for a pet, or ask the owner to take their pet outside, if this guidance isn’t being followed.
Refreshment
Dog refreshments can be found in the Cloister Café and doggy treats and other goodies are available for sale in the Cathedral Shop.
The Vice-Dean of Worcester, Canon Stephen Edwards, said: “We’ve listened to our visitors’ feedback and have decided to trial a period throughout the summer where dogs are welcome inside the Cathedral for visiting.
“We cannot wait to welcome our four-legged friends into the Cathedral. Dogs are so important to so many of our visitors and bring much love and joy to their families. So, we felt it was only right that we welcome them into the Cathedral, where we hope our visitors will be able to enjoy the beauty of the building with their canine companions.”
By welcoming visitors’ four-legged friends, the Cathedral is hoping to take the doggy biscuit when it comes to places to visit this summer.
We hope that visitors like our new paw-licy and we'll be listening to visitors’ feedback throughout the summer to decide whether this becomes a permanent arrangement.
Dogs are welcome to explore the Cathedral, and its grounds, during visiting hours (Monday – Saturday, 10am-5pm and Sunday, 1-3 pm).
* If you’re not familiar with the café setup, if your question is, can our dog join us for a coffee or lunch, the short answer is yes! The café has external seating located in the Cloister (still inside), or the Chapter house, where dogs are welcome.