We all wish we could take our pets away on holiday with us but if you're leaving the country, it can be more trouble than it's worth to get your dog or cat sorted with a passport.
However, you can leave your pet somewhere to get pampered and have its very own holiday - and one "pet hotel" in Northumberland claims to offer a "luxury" experience for cats and dogs. Hadrian Pet Hotel in Matfen isn't a new business but during the coronavirus pandemic, it was hit hard by cancellations, which resulted in a big loss of income and it was forced to alter its direction.
And now its owner, Joan Brown, says that the business has now turned into something that her husband Keith would be proud of. Joan and Keith took the business over in 1999, with Keith, who was a dog handler and training instructor with Northumbria Police, leading on looking after the animals while Joan took care of the staff.
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But during the coronavirus pandemic, Keith died of a heart attack. Joan said: "We were married for 52 years and thought we'd easily see 60 but it wasn't meant to be. We were closed when he died, our business was hit and miss when we opened up and to be honest, I struggled badly."
Though she struggled, a friend telling her to make Keith proud gave her the motivation to carry on and she says the business has transformed - with those who bought kittens and puppies in lockdown now back at work and needing somewhere safe to leave their pets. The pet hotel now has space for 30 cats and 110 dogs in its 16 "cat chalets" and 70 kennels.
The premises was originally purpose-built with boarding in mind too, rather than being a property conversion. Joan continued: "We were originally a boarding kennels and cattery but we've now extending into day care for dogs and a grooming room.
"I have got people who have been boarding with me for years and years and now because so many people have bought puppies in Covid, we're getting a whole new raft to look after. We've got a whole host of clientele and their lovely, lovely dogs."
And Joan says the secret to her success is down to two things, the first being anthropomorphism. She said: "It's when you're treating an animal like a human being. For example, we've got dogs that have type 2 diabetes, we've got dogs that have ailments that once upon a time they would have been put to sleep for, but now they don't and we give them the care that they need."
The second is looking after her staff, who she has raised the wages of during the cost of living crisis. She added: "I have put the prices up for dogs but I've increased all the staff's wages because without them I couldn't operate the Hadrian Pet Hotel.
"I also want to make sure that people are happy coming to work. I've got this need to feed people. if I'm passing Greggs, I get pastries or I make quiches and cakes and scones and sandwiches because work is such a vital part of your day and your life, you've got to be happy coming to work."
Joan may be 73 but she has no plans to retire anytime soon. She finished: "I'm not thinking long term. But I've got a very, very committed workforce.
"They used to say Keith would never stop and he'd still be going down washing out the kennels when he couldn't walk anymore. And maybe it'll be the same for me!"
Where do you leave your pets when you go on holiday? Let us know!
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