Movies are going to the dogs

An Austrian cinema is letting movie-goers take their pet dogs to films with them in a bid to lure more customers.

The Admiral cinema in Vienna has been struggling against competition from new multiplex cinemas which have been built nearby.

So cinema bosses have started a monthly Doggy Day in a bid to offer something different from their brash modern rivals.

Visitors pay £4 for a ticket while their pet pooch can go in for free and are given a blanket to snuggle up on in their seats, as well as water and popcorn.

A spokesman said: "The only thing different from a normal movie showing is that, on the insistence of local veterinary authorities, the volume levels for the films are turned down a bit so as not to hurt the animals' ears."

Thomas Feldinger, 24, who has already attended one of the doggy days with his pet Labrador Hanjo, said: "It's a great idea. Hanjo loved it in there and so did all the other dogs.

"I thought they might all make a noise and bark through the films but once the film started going they all settled down in their blankets and watched quietly."