About Us

Dog Friendly Retreats was launched in 2018 with the goal of bringing the best dog friendly holiday cottages from the UK and Ireland into one easy-to-search place. We are massive dog-lovers and relish being able to connect pet owners with great places to stay.

I (Josh Williams) own and run Dog Friendly Retreats with the help of my wonderful wife, Hannah. We also have our daughter and Hungarian Vizsla, Bean, cheering us on.

I grew up in the Cornish countryside with a soppy Doberman and two bonkers Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as well as a host of other pets. I always remember the difficulty my parents would have trying to find accommodation accepting dogs. So much so that we often ended up camping instead – not that my brother or I ever minded that!

I studied Graphic Design at University and after graduating learned to build websites. After the obligatory gap year of travelling, I returned home and joined the family business, a small holiday cottage agency in a Cornish fishing village. There, I got to know the self catering business inside out.

I realised how far dog friendly accommodation had come since I was a boy, with over a third of cottages now taking them. However, there still wasn’t a central website for dog owners to go to and easily search through them. So, the idea for Dog Friendly Retreats was born.

When I’m not at my desk, you'll find me walking along beaches and cliff paths with family and Bean in tow, jogging along country lanes or watching football.

Hannah is the social media and photography genius. Like me she’s a huge dog enthusiast. Hannah has spent time travelling around Africa and Asia, worked as a carer and NHS nurse, and is currently a full-time mum to our beautiful daughter.

We live in the lovely town of Penryn, Cornwall and try to make the very most of life in the countryside.

Here are a few FAQs:

Are you a cottage agency?

No. We list properties from many different independent property owners as well as letting agencies from all over the UK and Ireland. We provide the tools for you to search through thousands of properties and easily communicate with their respective owners or agents.

If you make a booking on or via the site, it will be managed by the respective owner or agent for the property. All further correspondence relating to the booking will be with them.

Do you add booking or pet fees to bookings?

We don't add anything on to the accommodation cost on our side. All prices come direct from the property owner or agent so you shouldn't get a cheaper price anywhere. An owner or agent may have their own booking or pet fee but we always include these in prices shown on our site so there shouldn’t be any nasty surprises.