Dog wedding chauffeurs and doggy roasts: The rise of the puppy experience economy

They are known as our best friends or as being part of the family, so it is only natural that owners want to shower their dogs in treats and take them wherever they go.

But over the past decade, this special relationship has evolved into a booming industry, fuelled by the rise of the so-called "doggy experience economy".

From pubs and restaurants serving up doggy roasts to cafes offering Puppuccinos and dog-friendly ice cream, catering for our four-legged friends has become a multi-billion-pound industry.

According to MoneySuperMarket, spending on pets and pet-related goods has surged from £2.9bn in 1997 to £11.95bn in 2025.

But what has caused owners to shift from bringing their dogs to a pub to wanting to feed them a chef-cooked meal while they are there? We spoke to pet owners, experts and businesses across the West of England to see what they think.

University of the West of England senior lecturer in marketing Dr Stelina Kanaki explained how social media could be influencing people.

"I think that social media has normalised premium pet care and services.

"A social media user compares themselves to other users and influencers.

"So, seeing, for example, someone's dog getting their professional photograph taken - this then becomes something the user feels they should do otherwise they get a fear of missing out, regardless of their financial situation," she said.

But, social media is not the sole reason in this change in consumer behaviour as Kanaki explains.

"There is something called the experience economy. This is what we're living in nowadays," she said.

This means businesses have shifted from selling traditional goods or services to creating memorable moments for customers.

"So people are now buying an experience with their dogs," she added.

Helen Barber started her dog wedding chauffeur company Together Furever Weddings in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, with her husband in 2022.

"There's a lot more acceptance now that people will want to be with their dog at their weddings," she said.

"Year-on-year we've seen the demand for our service and dog friendly venues increase. We've done just over 70 weddings this year already.

"There are now hundreds of chaperone services when there only used to be a handful."

She went on to attribute the rise in people spending money on their pets to social media.

"People see things online and realise it's an option to have their pets with them at their wedding or other family events," Barber added.

Rachel Morgan, from The Amberley Inn in Stroud, serves doggy roasts which have proved very popular.

She believes the "shift in attitudes" started after the pandemic.

"People spent more time with their dogs. They offered a degree of comfort in really difficult time and from then their relationship with their dogs has changed," she said.

"They want to be spending more time with them and if they're able to take their dogs out with them in the day they're more likely to go out and dine in that restaurant that caters for them.

Morgan explained their doggy roast includes meat vegetables and specially formulated doggy gravy.

"We're now organising a Christmas dog event called Santa Paws where we'll sell Puppuccinos, the dogs can go for a walk together and have a roast after when Santa will share presents," she added.

Wiltshire-based family-run dog walking service Potters Tails run by Shelly Potter and Casey Gumm believe social media has been the driving influence behind wanting to do more things with and for their dogs.

"Social media shows people what's out there, like what we do, which means there's now a huge demand out there," Potter said.

"Some of our dogs were bought during Covid. There's so many more dog lovers now.

"People treat them very well. You get things like dog birthday parties now and dog cafes."

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