Dogs Trust launches open-water safety campaign after research finds a confidence gap

Dogs Trust has launched a summer water-safety campaign for dog owners, built around a series of short animations rather than the graphic imagery public safety campaigns often rely on. Called If in Doubt, Keep Your Dog Out, it asks owners to stop, check and think before letting a dog into open water, and each film focuses on one hazard that is invisible from the bank: fast currents, submerged debris, blue-green algae, and banks with no safe way back out.

The campaign follows research among 2,000 UK dog owners, which found that almost three-quarters (74%) were confident they could identify safe water for their dog, while only 35% correctly recognised that no type of open water should automatically be treated as safe. Perhaps the most striking finding is that 80% said they would enter the water themselves if their dog got into difficulty. Dogs Trust strongly advises against this and asks owners to call 999 instead — a point worth repeating, since most water tragedies involving dogs also put a person at risk. Freedom of Information data from the RNLI and figures from the Canal & River Trust indicate dog-related water incidents have continued to rise, particularly over the summer.

For breeders and owners, the practical takeaway is a simple one: assess each location on the day rather than relying on a dog's swimming ability or a spot's familiarity. Dogs Trust has published a water safety checklist alongside the animations, and the campaign sits alongside the new Dog Ownership Guide developed with the RSPCA. Water conditions change quickly through a dry summer, and stagnant or low water carries a higher risk of algal blooms — so a river that was fine in June may not be in August.