More than 60,000 British holidaymakers have taken their dogs or cats on holiday with them over the past eight years.

Ferry operators are reporting an increase in the number of dogs carried across the channel. Stena Line carried 2,836 dogs and cats in 2007, and 13 per cent more domestic pets in 2008. P&O Ferries has carried 600,000 pets since the millenium, and last year Brittany Ferries transported 38,000 pets, the majority of which were dogs.

The number of people taking their dogs on SeaFrance Dover-Calais Ferries has gone up 23 per cent this year.

"In 2008, we had carried 5,779 dogs by this time in June, whereas this year we have carried 7,089," a SeaFrance spokeswoman told Times Online.

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France is a particularly dog-friendly destination, with many hotels and restaurants accepting dogs. In France, dogs are part of the family, says David McCraith of the Dordogne Experience.

"The French population as a whole is very tolerent of dogs and dog owners. It really is not unusual to see a dog at its owner's feet in a restaurant... You can take your dog with you on our rafting holiday and most campsites allow dogs," he says.

Destinations like Brittany are particularly popular with dog owners. Jeremy Waldron of Brittany Travel told Times Online: "There is certainly an increase in clients taking dogs on holiday... perhaps Brittany is more attractive to the doggy market as Brittany Ferries have kennels on some of their boats, and the drive is shorter in France."

Eurocamp has 126 parcs across Europe that accept dogs, and according to the company's spokeswoman, they've already received 894 bookings from families wishing to take their pets on holiday this year.

Rival Keycamp is also responding to increased demand - the operator launched "pooch packages" last year, and increased its number of parcs accepting dogs from 28 to 89 this year.

The most popular destinations are those within a three or four hour drive of the ferry ports - one in ten dog bookings were to Keycamp’s parc at Duinrell in Holland, which is 30 miles from Amsterdam.

Behind the boom in holidays with pets was the change in law in 2000, which simplified the process and removed the lengthy quarantine stay required for animals travelling between certain countries.

PETS, or the Pet Travel Scheme, saw the introduction of micro chipping and animal passports, for dogs, cats and ferrets.

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