Ambassadog

The furry face promoting Angus and Dundee from 2020 through till 2022 was ‘Smiley Riley’, She was the happy hound who got out and about to help highlight the growing number of businesses that were welcoming our four legged friends with open arms. She had an extended reign, due to Covid, and took over from Moss the Border Collie and Jarvis the Golden Retriever.

Riley’s owner, Jen Fleming said that “Riley absolutely loved her time as the DFAD Ambassadog and was happy to do her bit for tourism. It was fun getting out to explore and report back on the fantastic dog friendly places she discovered. Glen Clova is one of her favourite walks and she was always smiling from ear to ear when we got the chance to head up the hills. It’s even better when you know you can end a good long walk with a visit to the local hotel and know your dog will be made to feel as welcome as you are”.

It’s even better when you know you can end a good long walk with a visit to the local hotel and know your dog will be made to feel as welcome as you are”

Riley and her owner Jen kicked off her time as Ambassadog up at Glen Clova Hotel who kindly offered sponsorship as we searched for our new Ambassadog. Manager, Mhairi Preston, was delighted at the time to welcome them “Riley did a ‘pawesome’ job. Glen Clova welcome all doggie visitors to the hotel and whether it’s for a quick bite to eat or whether it’s for an overnight stay – you and your four legged friend can be assured of a warm welcome.

Riley featured in Visit Angus’ tourism promotional videos and posts throughout 2021 and Riley and Jen did their bit to promote MyAngus.

After reaching this pinnacle of doggie achievements Riley moved way out west out to Skye  but remembers her time as the Dog friendly Angus and Dundee Ambassadog with great affection.

Two intrepid pooches did their bit to promote dog-friendly tourism in Angus in 2019. Moss the 5 year old Bordie Collie was named as the ‘Angus Ambassadog’ in a competition run by Dog friendly Angus, along with Jarvis, a Golden Retriever puppy, who provided assistance in the role of ‘Junior Ambassadog’.
Moss and Jarvis spearheaded the Dog Friendly Angus campaign and spent the next year sniffing out all the great things to experience on a visit to Angus in an attempt to promote the County as a dog friendly destination.
Katherine Thomas, owner of Moss, was delighted that her dog was chosen and thoroughly enjoyed exploring all that the area had to offer “Angus has a great variety of places to visit with your dog. We’ve been to beautiful beaches such as Lunan Bay, glens where we can head up into the hills and farmland and forest to explore in between. There’s also historic sites like Edzell Castle and the Catherthun forts. Moss loves to go out exploring and adventuring as the Ambassadog and we were already active on social media; sharing tales and photos of our adventures locally and further afield. She came to me as a rescue, having been found as a stray and was terrified of people. But she has blossomed into a lovely, confident, active dog who is curious about everything. Moss is definitely brought enthusiasm to the role.”

The Ambassadogs also visited and reviewed dog friendly businesses throughout the county including the Lunan Bay Diner, Bunkhouse and B&B, Balmuirfield House B&B, Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort, Newton Farm Tours and Millies Pet Services amongst others.

When a fully grown Retriever arrives it’s a good test for any dog friendly business to see how dog-friendly they actually are!

Jarvis’ owner, Debbie Thomson said “when a fully grown Retriever arrives it’s a good test for any dog friendly business to see how dog-friendly they actually are. It’s all very well being able to accommodate a smaller dog, but a 40kg golden retriever is a different matter! Gaining insight and reporting back has helped locals and people coming to the area choose where they go to spend their time and money with their dogs.”

The Ambassadogs worked with members of the Angus Tourism Cooperative to create a better online profile of the dog-friendly businesses and places within Angus through their social media channels.