Human-sized dog house unveiled to raise awareness for abandoned pets in the UK

British home appliance brand Hotpoint, together with animal welfare charity Blue Cross, have unveiled a larger-than-life, super-sized dog house in London to kick start a long-term partnership to help raise awareness of, and find forever homes for, the rising numbers of pets waiting in rehoming centres across the UK.

The Hotpoint Forever Home pop-up in Butler’s Wharf will run from June 7 – June 8 and creates an environment our four-legged friends will love.

The poochy paradise will include a ball pit, a dog-friendly ramp up to a second level (this isn’t any ordinary ‘dog house’), rope toys, and a variety of free-roam toys to tailor the experience for every dog. And, home to Bailey the Beagle, who loves to cause adorable mischief around the home, it will also incorporate Hotpoint appliances that help keep on top of doggy mishaps like muddy paw prints, and showcase practical solutions to common pet-related clean-ups like removing 99.9% of bacteria from your clothes - helping inspire more people to open their hearts – and homes – to pet adoption. Bailey will be joined at the Forever Home by his ‘paw’some pals as part of the ‘Bailey’s Friends’ wall, where visitors can learn more about dogs available for adoption from Blue Cross.

The Forever Home pop-up marks the start of an initial 12-month partnership between Hotpoint and Blue Cross, during which there will be a number of activations. This will include Hotpoint creating homely environments in Blue Cross rehoming centres on a permanent basis across the United Kingdom to help pets and potential owners connect in comfortable spaces that deliver the feeling of home.

The pet-friendly partnership launches as Hotpoint research reveals 46% of people say pets are a key factor in making a house a home and more than half of respondents (55%) treat their dog like a family member. Meanwhile, over 80% connected easily with the dog they adopted from a rehoming centre. Yet, 1 in 3 (34%) of people who have adopted a dog, or are considering adopting, admit to being concerned about how long it will take for their dog to feel at home. And 24% are concerned about household mess or mishaps when getting a dog.

The Forever Home pop-up aims to alleviate these stressors by bringing the feeling of home to rehoming centres so that dogs can familiarise themselves within a home environment, and their humans can see firsthand how easy it can be to keep on top of doggy mishaps.

To showcase the appliances available to support pet owners, the Forever Home includes:

Hotpoint Active Care washing machine: Aka. a dog owner’s best friend, it can remove muddy paw prints from sheets and cloths on washes as low as 20 degrees. The anti-allergen cycle removes 99.9% of major allergens to protect sensitive skin.

Hotpoint Gentle Power washing machine: The Mixed Extra Silence mode to keep cycles at a whisper-quiet 60DBA so pooches can get their power naps.

Hotpoint Active Care heat pump dryer: Removes 99.9% of dust mites from blankets and bedding to keep your dog comfortable.

Hotpoint fridge/freezer: The Fresh Zone 0 degrees feature keeps dog food at the perfect temperature to deliver delicious dinner times for your dog, every time.

 Hotpoint Air Fry Oven with Steam: Locks in flavour and nutrients and prevents home-baked doggy treats from burning and drying out, because our four-legged friends deserve the best.

Stephanie Ferreira, Head of Brand and Digital for Hotpoint UK, said: “For over a century, Hotpoint has been committed to sharing the feeling of home and, in the UK, our beloved pets are a huge part of what makes a house a home for so many of us. Through this partnership with Blue Cross we hope to not only raise awareness around the rising number of abandoned pets but, crucially, help them find their forever home. The Forever Home pop-up is the first of many activations that we hope will showcase how the modern home can be made pet-friendly with ease, and inspire people to consider adoption of the wonderful, wide range of dogs Blue Cross looks after.”

Thomas Rainbow, Animal Behaviorist for Blue Cross, said “Blue Cross has been helping sick, injured and homeless pets since 1897, and it's no secret they make an amazing difference to the humans they live with. The partnership with Hotpoint will help raise further awareness around the work we do, champion the dogs we have in our care who are ready to find their forever homes and educate on responsible adoption. Because we all know, becoming a dog parent is such a rewarding thing, even more so if it’s a pet who hasn’t had the best start in life.”