Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
WITH a herb garden, crazy daisies and a sandpit with treats hidden in it… could there be a pet hotel in Spain quite as posh?
The latest installation at Posh Pets ‘boutique dog hotel and cattery’ in Alhaurin is enough to make most owners smile and relax, let alone their pets.
Just opened, the Pet Sensory Garden/Playground sits in a half acre grove of mature orange, lemon and grapefruit trees and is a riot of smells and colours.
The perfect place for your beloved pet to play, interact with other dogs and unwind, it is the invention of award-winning groomer Rachel Goutorbe and her husband Les.
“They absolutely love it in there, running around playing together, their tails wagging,” explains Rachel, who has been running her upmarket kennels since 2004.
“A lot of the dogs are rescue dogs and you can see how they unwind and relax there.
“It helps to build up their confidence as well as to tantalise all their senses, plus it helps them to interact with their surroundings and provide physical and mental challenges to help enrich their lives.”
Cleverly thought out, there is a big range of self-medicating plants such as valerian, often selected by anxious dogs for its calming effect, and marigolds, often selected by animals that are experiencing grief or emotional stress.
Then there is lavender to encourage scar tissue regeneration, wheat grass for animals that are nervous, as well as peppermint which is good for its cooling properties and often selected by animals with skin irritations. It can also be used as an aid for training.
The garden also boasts a water feature, wind chimes, an illusion mirror (see right), sun catchers and crazy daisies, which spray the dogs with water, keeping them cool in summer.
The garden is also split level with climbing areas and a sun deck allowing dogs to reach different vantage points.
The fantastic adjacent dog hotel has its kennels named after Coronation Street characters and each comes with its own pink sun bed.
Aside to this there is a spacious boutique cattery away from the boasting large individual rooms complete with climbing frames, cat trees, toys and music. Each cat has a 360 degree view.
“Our grounds are fully secure with CCTV and we live on site so there is peace of mind,” continues Rachel, who has won grooming competitions around the world, and now trains up students, who come from as far as Greece and Holland.
“We understand owners concerns for the care of their pets and they receive the same love and attention as you would bestow upon them whilst they are in our care,” she says.
Regularly photos of the pets on their holiday are posted on the Facebook page POSH PETS SPAIN.
And clients that live some distance from Alhaurin can be picked up by a licensed Pet Pick-up service too.
On top of this the company runs a fully licensed pet transportation service to and from the UK and Europe.
“This is a door to door bespoke travel service for pets in vehicles that are totally customised for all your essential pets’ needs.
Finally, the Grooming Salon & Groomers training centre is fully equipped and caters for all breeds & crossbreeds as well as cats.
Visit www.poshpetsspain.com for more info or call 952 597 035
