Waggy Tales - Owner Noel and Princeton, London

Our latest testimonial is with owner Noel and his wagulous pooch, Princeton. Together, they’ve met two pawsome borrowers, and as Noel says, “Princeton has so much more personality thanks to BorrowMyDoggy” - high paws!

High paws! Tell us a little about your BorrowMyDoggy experience...

Initially, I registered as a borrower before signing up as an owner a few months after getting Princeton. Before we signed up to BorrowMyDoggy, my partner was at home looking after him. We thought it would be nice to let someone else have the joy of spending time with Princeton. The real joy for us is knowing Princeton is having fun.

We’ve now met two local borrowers who look after him regularly. One of them is Vanessa, who sent us a really nice message and was so warm, genuine and friendly. We got back in touch with her straight away. She appealed to us as she seemed like someone who was in it for the love of dogs.

How did you hear about BorrowMyDoggy and why did you sign up?

I heard about BorrowMyDoggy through word of mouth. My partner and I registered with Battersea Dogs Home in winter last year and we adopted our dog, Princeton, in March. We really wanted to meet people who genuinely wanted to look after our dog, rather than pay for a dog sitter. I wanted to give back to the community too and I would have seen myself as a borrower before I had a dog. It also seemed like a good way to meet people and socialise Princeton.

How was your ‘Welcome Woof’ ?

We really liked Vanessa instantly as she is very sweet and gentle natured. It seemed like Princeton was craving some female company, he is a bit of a ladies man! For our ‘Welcome Woof’, we went to our local park and his regular playground. Vanessa lives on London Fields, which is very local to us and it’s now Princeton’s favourite place to go.

Princeton is very chilled out and it takes him a few times meeting someone to get to know them. We met with Vanessa three or four times until we were all comfortable with the arrangement.

How is Princeton getting on with his new pals?

Vanessa has been seeing Princeton since August and it’s clear that he’s really bonded with her. He has come out of his shell 100% and has so much more personality thanks to BorrowMyDoggy. He’s so playful and cheeky and much more confident. Vanessa is very passionate and knowledgeable about dogs so we’ve picked up some tips and tricks from her.

What kind of arrangement do you have with your borrowers?

We have a very casual relationship with Vanessa. She works in retail so her hours vary. She lets us know when she’s free and vice versa. It’s a friendly agreement and we’ve become quite good friends with her as well. She makes lovely cake and tea and we go over! I never really expected it, meeting new people from all walks of life. If it wasn’t for BorrowMyDoggy, your paths would probably never cross.

Vanessa takes him for various periods of times, sometimes the whole day, sometimes a walk. It’s quite relaxed. Sometimes she’ll join us for a walk round the park together. We really enjoy her company. It’s so nice to see them together and Princeton couldn’t be happier. Vanessa even made these homemade organic dog biscuits for him! She’s very thoughtful and kind.

We have a good relationship with Princeton’s other borrower, Isla. She’s a really nice girl and tends to be Princeton’s overnight sleeping buddy. Both Vanessa and Isla are very local to us, which is fantastic.

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

I know that BorrowMyDoggy is a reputable service and takes security very seriously, which is great. As an owner, I say you just build up trust and rapport. Trust your gut and use your common sense. Meet in a public space and make sure you’re comfortable. I’m a huge advocate of the website.

What word or phrase do you associate with BorrowMyDoggy?

Joy. BorrowMyDoggy is a wonderful service and I’m thrilled.