Waggy Tales - Owner Charlotte and Mirabel, Brighton

When Charlotte and her Cocker Spaniel, Mirabel, moved from Canada to Brighton, BorrowMyDoggy was their solution for meeting new people and engaging in their local community. What’s more, their first match turned out to be an old friend - high paws! Here’s their lovely Waggy Tale.

Why did you sign up to BorrowMyDoggy?

We used to live in Vancouver where we adopted our dog, Mirabel. She’s a Cocker Spaniel rescue from California. When we moved her back to the UK, we didn’t know that many people in Brighton where we live, so we wanted a way to connect to people. When we moved back, I got in touch with a dog walker, however, Mirabel’s better with one-on-one attention which is why BorrowMyDoggy is perfect for us. My Mum found out about BorrowMyDoggy from an article in the guardian and she sent it across to us.

High paws! Tell us a bit more about your BorrowMyDoggy experience...

Once I’d signed up and made my profile, I waited until people started to add Mirable to their favourites. I would have a look at their profiles, checking location and availability, then decide whether or not to get in touch. The first person I spoke to was Ruth, a local borrower who was very active on the site. It turns out Ruth’s boyfriend is an old friend of ours so I sent her a message and we arranged a meet up.

How was your ‘Welcome Woof’?

Mirabel is very transparent, if she likes you she sits on your feet. She sat on Ruth’s feet immediately! As we knew Ruth’s boyfriend Richard from before we let them look after Mirabel quite quickly. We were instantly really comfortable with them. It was a reunion, really, if it hadn’t been for BorrowMyDoggy we wouldn’t have been back in touch. Ruth and Richard look after Mirabel about once a week now, which is great.

We also met with a local family who live 5 minutes away from me, on my way to work. Jo, the mum, added Mirabel to her family’s favourites and her profile was so lovely that I got in touch. We met in a local park and she brought her family (three little girls). Instantly, Mirabel was lying on the ground with the girls all around her like some sort of queen! I could tell that they were such good people, they asked all the right questions and were very interested to hear all about Mirabel and her backstory.

They now look after Mirabel four times a week. She has a sleepover sometimes on weekends too. It’s absolutely perfect and she is so happy.

How is Mirabel getting on with her new pals?

She’s fallen in love with the family. She knows them and loves them so much. She’s got her new pack. They are such good and lovely people.

When we first got her, she had separation anxiety so it’s a dream come true that she has so many new friends and spends almost no time on her own. She couldn’t be happier. Jo is an author and she gave me a copy of her book with a handwritten thank you on the inside for bringing Mirabel into her family’s lives.

What's the one thing you would tell other potential owners about BorrowMyDoggy?

It’s really about being savvy. You can tell right away if you feel comfortable with someone and you have to use your own judgement. Take your time to get to know them. We feel so lucky to have found such a loving family.

What one word do you associate with BorrowMyDoggy?

Community. I lived in Brighton a long time ago and when I left, I lost the connection. BorrowMyDoggy has helped us re-engage with the community. We talk to people we don’t know and always tell people about BorrowMyDoggy. It has been a really nice way to get to know people we otherwise never would have met.