Dog policy status labels
A reference for the labels Paws of London attaches to a venue’s dog policy: the policy card, its status values, where dogs are allowed, what the verified badge means today, and how a venue gets confirmed. For how the evidence behind them is gathered, see How we check listings.
Rolling out. The policy card is being introduced across the site. Today, venue cards and pages show only the existing verified badge described in section 4; a listing without it carries no trust label and should be read as unconfirmed.
1. The policy card
Every venue page will carry a compact card with six fields.
| Field | What it shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dog policy | Whether dogs are welcome and where | Dogs welcome indoors and in the garden |
| Confidence | The status label from section 2 | Confirmed by venue |
| Checked | The date the policy was last checked | 18 August 2026 |
| Restrictions | Conditions the venue has set | Keep dogs on a lead after 6pm |
| Source | Where the policy came from | Direct email from the venue |
| Action | What you can do | Confirm this · Suggest a correction |
The example is illustrative: as of 1 September 2026 no listing carries a venue confirmation.
An unconfirmed listing shows this wording instead:
Dog policy not yet confirmed. We found this venue in a third-party source, but its own website does not state a dog policy. Call ahead before travelling.
2. Status labels
A listing carries exactly one status. It describes the evidence we hold, not how welcoming the venue is.
| Label | Meaning | Evidence that produces it |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed | The venue itself says dogs are welcome and the confirmation is current. | A yes to our verification email or call, or a confirmation from the venue’s owner account, dated and within twelve months. |
| Published | The venue’s own website states that dogs are welcome. | An explicit statement found on the venue’s website, stored with the wording and the page it came from. |
| Community confirmed | A visitor confirmed dogs were welcomed. | A dated visitor report accepted by a Paws of London reviewer. |
| Probable | Indirect evidence suggests dogs are welcome. | A third-party listing describing the venue as dog-friendly, with nothing yet from the venue or its website. |
| Unconfirmed | We hold no statement from the venue or its website. | A third-party listing only, or a website that says nothing about dogs. Every listing starts here. |
| Disputed | The evidence conflicts or has been challenged. | A visitor report of being turned away, or sources that disagree, awaiting a check. |
| Not dog-friendly | Dogs are not allowed. | The venue told us so, or its website states it. The venue is not shown as a place to visit with a dog. |
| Closed | The venue is not trading. | Confirmation that the venue has closed temporarily or permanently. |
3. Where dogs are allowed
The scope says where on the premises dogs are welcome. A listing can carry more than one value.
- Indoors — inside the venue.
- Outdoors — outside seating or terrace.
- Bar area — the bar but not the dining area.
- Garden — a garden or yard.
- Rooms — hotel bedrooms.
- Selected areas — specific parts the venue has named in its restrictions.
- Unknown — we know dogs are welcome somewhere but not where, or we know nothing at all. It never means nowhere.
4. What the verified badge means today
On venue cards the badge is a blue tick; hovering or focusing it shows a label such as Verified by email · Aug 2026. On the venue page the same label appears next to the venue name, with a sentence saying that the venue confirmed its dog-friendly status by email on a given date.
It means one thing: the venue answered a direct verification email from Paws of London saying dogs are still welcome. The answer is dated, records the method, and expires twelve months later; the badge disappears the moment it expires or the venue tells us dogs are no longer welcome. Any restrictions the venue attached are held for review and are not yet displayed.
It is not an endorsement or a recommendation by Paws of London, not a rating, not a record of a visit by us, and not a statement about where in the venue dogs are allowed. It cannot be bought.
As of 1 September 2026, no venue carries the badge: verification emails have not yet been sent. Live counts are on our data quality page.
5. Source types
The Source field on the card names where the policy came from.
- Venue email — the venue answered our verification email.
- Venue phone — the venue confirmed by telephone. Planned; not yet in use.
- Venue website — an explicit statement on the venue’s own site.
- Venue owner — the person managing the claimed listing set the policy.
- Community visit — a visitor’s dated report, accepted by a reviewer.
- First-party visit — a check by Paws of London in person.
- Third-party directory — a public business listing.
- Inference — a reading of indirect signals. It can support probable at most, never confirmed.
6. How to get a listing confirmed
If you run a venue, the quickest route is to answer our verification email when it arrives: one click for yes, no, or yes with restrictions. You can also claim your listing from its venue page when signed in, or write to hello@pawsof.london. Everything a venue needs is on For venues. Confirmation is free.
If you are a visitor, use Report as Not Dog-Friendly or Suggest Edit on the venue page. Your report is reviewed and can move a listing to disputed or, once checked, to community confirmed.