Dog owners are being invited to bring their four-legged friends along for a tour of Bury St Edmunds to mark International Dog Day.

Bury Tour Guides are set to launch the special tour for canines and their humans in recognition of International Dog Day, which takes place on August 26. 

This comes after Bury St Edmunds was named as the second most dog-friendly place in the country in the Most Dog Friendly Town/City category at the DogFriendly Awards 2023. 

Bury Tour Guides marketing officer, John Saunders, said: "Our policy is to only allow assistance dogs on tours because of issues that may arise but we are aware that this penalises those who want to be in the company of dogs during our tours of the Abbey and town. 

"To have a dedicated tour for dog lovers shows our desire to be inclusive and if this proves popular and successful it will assist our future thinking. 

"We are extremely grateful to Jon Kay of Camp Tails Doggy Care who has given us the benefit of his extensive experience in dealing with dogs and will be on hand at the start of the tour." 

Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides offers everything from daily tours of the ancient Abbey to ghost tours showcasing the darker side of the town.

The group was named as one of 10 VisitEngland Tourism Superstar 2024 finalists.

More recently, they have been awarded a 2024 Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award, which only the top 10% of attractions worldwide are chosen for. 

The dog friendly tour will take place on September 1 from 10.30am and places must be booked in advance.