Here’s a lovely story from borrower Claire, who signed-up to BorrowMyDoggy at Christmas to fill the dog-shaped hole in her life. Claire was contacted by five owners, and borrows four of the dogs regularly, high paws! She loves having the canine company and meeting new people in her local area :)

Tell us about your new furry friends…

So far, I’ve looked after two Lurchers, a Staffie and a Golden Retriever. They have all had such different personalities and each arrangement is different. It’s been amazing.

The first Lurcher that I took care of, Marshall, I absolutely adored. I looked after him for four days and I’ve let his owner know that I would happily look after him whenever they need help. Lampea, the second Lurcher, I looked after for a week. I’d never looked after Lurchers before BorrowMyDoggy and now I’m totally in love with the breed. I’m looking after Lampea again at the moment.

As well as the Lurchers, I’ve looked after Pepsi the Staffie (who is an absolute darling and likes to sleep under the duvet) for a couple of evenings and Tilly the 11 year old Golden Retriever. Tilly’s owner, who lives just up the road, works three days a week and I work from home most of the time so Tilly comes round to mine and I keep her company. She is an angel and just loves snoozing and cuddles!

Why did you sign up to BorrowMyDoggy?

I have wanted a dog for ages, however, I can’t justify it at the moment as I travel a lot for work and it just wouldn’t be fair. Someone suggested dog sharing to me so I Googled it and that’s how I found out about BorrowMyDoggy. Most people I tell about the community think it’s the best idea they’ve ever heard!

How did you go about making some new four-legged friends?

Once I signed up, I made a profile straight away. Then I started to favourite dogs in my area. As soon as I did this, I began receiving messages from owners. So far I’ve been contacted by five owners (and dogs!) I think because I signed up during the Christmas period, people needed a bit more help than usual.

What’s your current situation?

I am currently looking after Tilly and Lampea - the house has never been so muddy and fun! Tilly’s owner has said that I can borrow Tilly whenever I want. She is looking to build up a steady relationship with several local borrowers that she can rely on.

What has been the biggest benefit of joining the BorrowMyDoggy community?

I love that it gives me the dog connection that I desperately wanted. It gives me the incentive to get up and go in the morning. Not only that, I love meeting new people in my local area too.

What one word do you associate with BMD?

Fun.

You can read Lampea's story too :)