Holiday hounds need hosts
Sue and Paul, a retired couple from Alnwick, are among a growing band of Northumberland dog lovers who enjoy looking after other people’s pets. They take on all types of friendly dogs whose holidaying owners opt for the individual ‘home from home’ care that kennels cannot provide.
Tina Young of Guyzance operates the Northumberland branch of Barking Mad. Sue and Paul have hosted more than 30 dogs since they joined the Barking Mad team in 2008.
Said Sue,” We have been hosts for more than three years and we enjoy having dogs for the fun and exercise. We give an individual report on the dogs, for the owners, and several dogs have come back time and again. If there is ever a problem, Tina is excellent at sorting it out, such as taking a dog to the vet, so we do feel fully supported.”
Every dog that Sue and Paul look after comes with its own detailed CV prepared by Tina. All the animal’s habits, feeding, sleeping and exercise routines are listed Food, bedding and accessories that the dog has at home are delivered, along with the dog, to the host.
“My patch covers the east of Northumberland from Seahouses down to Monkseaton. Most of my customers live within the NE65 postcode, so ideally I would like to attract hosts from that area.”
“Our hosts enjoy all the benefits of dog companionship without any of the full time or financial commitments. We take care of transporting the dog to and from the host, who receives a daily fee. I am very thorough when matching a dog with the host. I want to make sure that both the dog and the host enjoy the holiday,” she said.
If you would like to become a Barking Mad host, contact Tina on 01665 575981, or email tina.young@barkingmad.uk.com
