A DOG FRIENDLY ASHLEY CENTRE…
Posted by Devenia Besant on 13 Sep 2023
A few weeks ago The Ashley Centre announced it was now a dog friendly shopping centre but within their announcement they said “that some shops may have different rules apply regarding pets within their store, so please check with them before you enter”.
With this information in mind I decided to take my furry friend in (after a long walk and toilet break) to investigate just who was happy to have us in (or not!). Here is what we found out about the shops within the centre (I’ve used ticks, crosses and a little explanation where necessary to make it clear):
Partido ✅
Starbucks – they are happy for you to go in and order and take away but you can not sit in.
The Body Shop ✅
Claire’s ✅
The Fragrance shop ✅
Vodafone ✅
Mobile ✅
WHSmith ✅
Deichman ✅
Pandora ✅
O2 ✅
Hotel Chocolat ✅
Muffin Break ❌
Boots ✅
EE ✅
Accessorize / Monsoon ✅
Clinton ❌
Costa ❌
The Works ✅
Card Factory ✅
Ernest Jones ✅ they said they had no policy to say no to dogs.
Select – I’m unsure about this one I was told by a member of staff that it’s ok unless it poos or wees, they didn’t seem certain.
Next – Said they thought so but the manager wasn’t around to confirm this.
M&S – ❌ no unless it’s a service dog which is understandable given it is full of fresh food.
Trespass ❌
Holland and Barrett ❌
Halifax ❌
Clarks ✅
Sports Direct ❌
Moka (within the Ashley Centre) ✅
Vision Express ✅ – you can view the glasses within the shop but for obvious reasons you couldn’t take them in with you for your eye test.
Grape Tree ❌
Waitrose ❌ service dogs only
Superdrug – if you carry your dog, can see this being a problem if you have a German Shepherd or a breed of that size!!!
Toy Barnhaus ✅
Jones Bootmaker – no policy to say no but they did point out that some staff were scared of dogs.
Hattys Sweetshop ✅
Quest – were so happy to welcome dogs and were even thinking about getting a dog bowl ✅
Moka cafe – outside only ✅
Overall my experience at the Ashley Centre with my dog was a pleasant one, seeing him made lots of people smile and started some conversations with the older generation. I would say if you were going to take your dog in do be mindful that your dog is well behaved and not one that wants to jumps up at people to say Hello, not everyone likes dogs, some are scared of them or even have allergies. To ensure there was no embarrassing moments I also made sure my dog had a good walk beforehand allowing him the toilet breaks he needed.
I hope this list helps but if you are planning on visiting a particular shop from the list above it might be advisable to ring ahead first. This information was given on the day I visited (Wednesday 13th September) and can obviously change at any time, hopefully there is a plan in place for dog friendly stickers in windows soon. I for one really welcome this dog friendly change. There have been many times I’ve walked through Epsom and wanted to pop in to a shop but couldn’t because of the dog so the change is very helpful indeed.
Dee xx
