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Centre Barks Activity Holidays For Dogs
Snape Farm, Lowgate, Hexham,
Northumberland NE46 2NW

Contact: Kath Rowland
Phone: 0770 304 8856

Centre Barks Activity Holidays For Dogs
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2nd Feb 2010

Labrador Trevor Usher At Northumberland Wedding

From Sunday Sun, 21 JUNE 2009



IT’S USUALLY the vicar who wears the dog collar at weddings.

But Trevor the Labrador proved such an important part of Jo Swinney and Andy Crinson’s courtship, the bride and groom had to have him at their wedding.

And instead of just adding their pet pooch to the table plan, the dog-doting couple dressed him up in the same colours as the bridesmaids and gave him a formal role at the service at Langley Castle in Northumberland.

To make sure he felt like a “proper” guest Trevor was also presented with a “plus one”, by the loving couple, so kennels owner Kath Rowland could come along as his personal chaperone.

Their friends thought they were barking-mad, but the newlyweds too busy enjoying their big day to care.

Jo, 43, said: “I knew everyone would think we were crazy, but we just had to do it. I wanted a castle and we both wanted Trevor at the wedding.

“He’s a part of everything we do and it seemed such a shame to come to this gorgeous countryside without him, when he would appreciate it so much.

“We wanted him to be a part of everything so we made him a bandana in the same colours as the bridesmaid’s dress. And because we didn’t have any ushers, it was left to Trevor.

“The day was fantastic and having him there just capped it all off for us.”

Newcastle-born and Carlisle-raised groom Andy, 46, was always keen to keep his wedding day in the North.

So when fiancee Jo found fairytale Northumberland venue Langley with luxury kennels Centre Barks close by in Hexham, the sweethearts quickly settled on their venue.

Now they have received all the snaps from the big day the newlyweds have opened up their wedding album to the Sunday Sun.

Jo said: “We always joked about how important the dog was, so we couldn’t leave him out.

“He is such a good boy, we knew we could trust him to behave. We didn’t tell all of the other guests so it was a real surprise for them. Everyone thought it was fabulous he was there.”









15th Sep 2011

Hotel For Hounds!

A recent article appeared in the Newcastle Journal newspaper - click on the link below to read it

a-hotel-for-hounds


22nd Nov 2008

Award-Winning Dog Hotel says BoardingKennels.org

We have won the prestigious crown award from Boardingkennels.org for dog boarding excellence!


15th Sep 2011

Facedog.com's 'Very Important Dog' Exclusive On Centre Barks Luxury Hotel For Dogs

Asked to list the world’s top luxury hotels many people could reel off a number of well-known names. But how about if you were asked about luxury accommodation for dogs? After all surely Fido deserves a little pampering while you are enjoying a break. Maybe you didn’t know such places existed?

Welcome to the world of luxury dog hotels. A place where pets have their own heated (or air-conditioned room) a sofa, bed, garden, pool and tv and even music, artwork and massage. It is not done for the sake of frivolity, but to ensure that dogs get the care and attention they deserve when their owners aren’t there.

One such hotel is Centre Barks in Northumberland, UK. Located on a working farm, they offer six rooms for their ‘guests’ (they don’t call them dogs) and each room can take up to four friends from the same family to share. Their rooms are decorated in “calm soothing colours” and have views of the garden. The guests can visit the garden when they please through their own private door. Each room is sound proofed so the guests are not disturbed by other residents and are equipped with digital tv, DVD players and even clocks and pictures on the walls. Guests can relax on their own cosy beds or on sofas and armchairs if that is what they are used to and the smaller ones even have beds and sofas located at the right height for them to be able to look out into the garden.

Owner, founder and self-confessed “farmer’s wife” Kath Rowland used to work in the health service but was fed up with her job. In April 2007 she hit on the idea of luxury accommodation for dogs after a search on Google revealed there was nothing similar in the UK. They opened Centre Barks (“The name was one of those lightbulb moments” she says) a year later after getting planning permission and taking advice from world recognised boarding kennel designers David and Kay Key www.kenneldesign.com.

Since then Centre Barks hasn’t looked back. They are full all the time.
Over half the residents have never been kennelled before,” says Kath, explaining that the owners did not trust their precious pets to a run-of-the-mill kennel. Contrary to expectations, Kath says that most of her residents are not spoiled celebrity-owned dogs but include rescue dogs whose owners don’t want them to re-experience their previous cooped up existence, elderly pets – “we have a blind, deaf diabetic dog with us at the moment” and even terminally ill dogs in one case. The dogs are with them anything from overnight to several weeks and are there for a variety of reasons, not just because their owners are on holiday.

All the dogs are tended on a loving and individual basis and although they advertise “activity holidays” the dogs can just pootle around if that is what they want. All diets are catered for. They even get home cooked food. Kath’s favourite story is of bulldog Oscar who had to have “a Macdonald’s with the pickle taken out once a week. “ As they are not near the famous fast food outlet this involved quite a long drive to keep Oscar happy.

Kath clearly loves her new career and the dogs she looks after. She had worked in palliative care with P.A.T dogs and so was well aware of the need for her luxury kennels. She goes to great lengths to make sure the guests are happy. “We realised that one guest – a greyhound- had his first birthday while he was staying with us,” she says. “So I made him a birthday cake and we even had a party!” Eat your heart out Ritz residents!

Fiona Tankard , reporter for facedog.com
See the article with photos at: facedog


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