Meet Our June Host Family of the Month

At Barking Mad Dog Care, we are constantly in awe of the amazing dog lovers who join our Host Community! Our dog home boarding service is rated as No. 1 by the Trustpilot online review platform but we simply couldn’t do what we do without our fantastic hosts, who are at the very heart of our Barking Mad family. Our Host of the Month award is a national honour, created to recognise one specially selected family. This June, a family from Tonbridge in Kent, has been chosen for their incredible dedication and commitment.

The Lee family was nominated for the award by Alix Phillips, owner – operator of Barking Mad Seven Oaks. She enthuses,

“John, Beverley and their two children, Amy and Megan, have been dog sitting hosts since 2015, when they saw Barking Mad advertised at the local Edenbridge show. They loved the concept of Barking Mad and felt that hosting would fit perfectly into their family life. Their youngest daughter, Amy, suffers with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a form of Brittle Bone Disease. Amy is at a great risk of fractures, which means that she is limited in what she can do physically and has to constantly be careful whilst playing, in case she breaks a bone.

Amy gets very tired and frustrated with her condition. She has already suffered 25 broken bones and has had to endure having two metal poles fitted. Her parents wanted to provide her with something which would help her to cope and give her a new focus. Amy had always longed for a dog of her own but the family felt unable to commit to full time pet ownership due the time demands of Amy’s hospital treatment.

Three years ago, the family hosted their first dog, a Bichon Frise called Milo. Amy immediately discovered that she had a natural gift with dogs and had an inner calmness around them. She loves the dogs who stay with the family and they reciprocate and adore her. Caring for the dogs has given her a focus and something to look forward to, as well as improving her confidence and general well being. She loves nothing more than grooming, pampering and looking after their canine visitors.

In September 2015, Beverley discovered that she had a large tumour in her stomach which was subsequently removed with major surgery. During her recovery, the family cared for a dog called Woody. Woody seemed to know that there was something wrong with her and during his two week stay would not leave her side, giving her constant companionship through a very hard time.

Older daughter, Megan, loves to cuddle up with all the bigger dogs and is great at spreading the word about Barking Mad to all her friends at school, some of whom have joined our Host Community too!

Amy and Megan are real dog lovers

Team Lee, as I call them, are a fantastic host family! They love all types of dogs and love getting to know different breeds and doggy personalities. Every dog that goes on holiday here has a fantastic time. They get lovely walks and great cuddles leading to there always being a wagging tail in this house. They thoroughly deserve the award for Host Family of the Month.”

John Lee told us,

“The dog hosting was not only for the children; it was great for the families fitness – the dogs get us all out of the house together, finding and exploring new countryside locations.”

Our host families are people who are mad about dogs but for various reasons cannot commit full time to having their own pooch. They look after other people’s dogs whilst they are away on holiday, enjoying companionship, exercise and fun at a time to suit them, without the need for a full time emotional and financial commitment. Their doggy guests arrive ready to start their holidays with everything they will need including: toys, food, bedding and a full, personalised ‘instruction manual’ which we refer to as a pet schedule. This is a very important document detailing all the dog’s individual preferences, dislikes, routines and medical history.

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a host and looking after a dog whilst its owners are on holiday, please call us on 033 33443353 (local rate). We’d love to chat to you!  Alternatively, you can click here for more information.