Italian museums are providing a free dog-sitting service to attract more visitors, in partnership with Bauadvisor.
Organised by the Bauadvisor dog services company, the promotional service in Italy is available at 15 visitor attractions until April 2026.
Dog owners will be able to leave their pets with trained minders at the entrances of venues like the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, the MAXXI museum in Rome, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
With their minders, the dogs will be walked, fed and watered while their owners visit cultural institutions.
“This project means owners can enjoy culture without being separated from their pets, and dogs will suffer less stress than they would if left at home,” Dino Gasperini, director of Bauadvisor, told the Times.
The service launched on Sunday (11 January) in Rome at four sites, including the Museum of the Ara Pacis, the MAXXI museum, and the Castel Sant’Angelo. Next, it will travel to other cities in Italy.
According to a 2024 report by the Eurispes research company, more than a third of Italian families have pets, and four out of 10 of these are likely dogs
The dog minders can be booked via the Bauadvisor website or app.
Pet-friendly experiences on the rise
Pets look set to be a big attractions and travel trend in the coming years, as both industries attempt to lure animal-loving guests.
In more pooch news, UK charity Guide Dogs has partnered with the Warner Bros. Studios Tour London to improve accessibility for visitors with visual impairments.
As part of the year-long partnership, dubbed ‘Dogwarts’, the Harry Potter studio tour has sponsored three guide dogs in training, named Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Images courtesy of Bauadvisor
