BIG4 reaches 50 dog parks milestone
Two years after overturning its anti-dog policy, almost a third of all BIG4 caravan parks now accept furry friendsMan’s best friend is an increasingly common companion for RV travellers, so it’s good to hear that more and more caravan parks are now accepting dogs.
BIG4 Holiday Parks, which reversed a strict no-dog policy in 2011 after 32 years, recently announced that 50 member parks, or almost a third of all BIG4-affiliated parks, will now accept dogs at the manager’s discretion.
BIG4 CEO, Ray Schleibs, says the move to allow dog-friendly parks, has been well received by guests who enjoy travelling with their pooch or want to avoid the hassle of using a kennel while they’re on holiday.
He said he expects more BIG4 parks to welcome dogs in the future.
However, the BIG4 tally still falls short of its main rival, Top Tourist Parks, which boasts around 135 dog-friendly parks out of 200 member parks in total. Top Tourist boss Bill Pycroft said the number might be even greater if some parks run by councils or located within national parks weren't automatically excluded from accepting dogs.
Like some Top Tourist parks, a couple of canine-friendly BIG4 parks take the pampered pooch approach to another level, offering dog-friendly cabins as well as other services like dog washing.
BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park owner Theo Whitmont says his park will even arrange dog grooming or a dog sitter.
“We’re sitting on 32 acres of space so there's plenty of room for guests to take their dog for a morning stroll or a play in the sun," he said. "The policy has worked well for us as the dogs stay on lead when outside and the owners clean up after them so everyone is happy."
For the current list of BIG4's dog-friendly parks, click here.
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