Anyone wanting to take their pooch for a mooch around the shops in Dawlish will find it easier from this month thanks to the launch of a ‘Dog Friendly Dawlish’ sticker scheme.

Businesses around the town that are happy for dogs to enjoy a spot of retail therapy or a bite to eat will display a sticker to show dog-owners that their pets are welcome to join them as they browse and buy.

‘There are lots of dog-friendly places to stay near here so we thought it would make it easier for our visitors, as well as people who live and work here, to see which businesses welcome dogs,’ said Julie Lister, who owns clothing boutique Chic and Sassy and who founded Independent Dawlish, which set up the scheme.

The scheme has been backed by Dawlish Town Council, which provided a grant to cover the cost of the stickers.

Independent Dawlish was set up in February this year to promote the town and boost year-round trade. The group works alongside the town’s Chamber of Commerce, Dawlish Town Council and local tourist groups to showcase the town through events, social media activity and schemes such as Dog Friendly Dawlish.

An increasing number of UK retailers are welcoming dogs. Last month, The Range and Wilkos announced that dogs would be allowed in their stores. Other shops that welcome dogs include John Lewis, Go Outdoors, Mountain Warehouse and Oliver Bonas. However, major supermarkets still ban all dogs except assistant dogs, which they are required to admit under the Equality Act.