Pooch perfect luxury at dog hotel

YOU’VE planned this trip for months, your bags are packed, your family’s IDs and passports are safe and secure in your carry on and its just a few hours until you can kick back and relax on your well-deserved getaway. There will be no more stresses or worries while sipping on a thirst-quenching piña colada – without getting caught in the rain. But what about your beloved dog? Will it be looked after? Is your house sitter reliable? Will it be okay in a kennel? The stress starts flooding back in. The Highway Mail has found the perfect spot for your pooch – the Durban Dog Hotel in Hillcrest.

The entrance to a dog’s home away from home is very unassuming as I was on the lookout for a large double or triple storey building, something resembling a hotel, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you have to do a u-turn along Hilltop Road. For extra confirmation, aside from the address, there is a sign on the wall near the gate with the acronym DDH printed onto it. The owners, Candice and Sonseirai Van Heerden Swanson, greeted me through the gate and invited me inside.

The large yard is split into various sections, allowing for certain dog types to mingle with each other during peak season. There were only a few dogs in the garden during our visit, but they were all of various breeds, ages and sizes but all seemed to get along just fine. Sonseria said this was simply because her dogs, Taylor (alpha) and Benji (second in command) had a watchful eye over the group. This pack dynamic seems strange to type about and I would not have believed it had I not seen it in action. One of the smaller dogs started to get a bit snippy during our tour through the grounds and snapped at its brother. All it took was a growl from Taylor to put the bad behaviour to bed.

Heartbreak and inspiration

Before the couple opened a branch in Umdloti in 2014, they had just returned from a long stint in rural China, doing a bit of missionary and development work. “We had two dogs over there and were surrounded by dog abuse but we continued to treat them as if they were our children,” said Candice. One of their dogs contracted canine distemper, and they had to drive seven hours to reach a vet. “We fought for his life for six months and he also fought really hard but he died. It broke our hearts,” she said. Their second dog, along with a handful of others, disappeared overnight in the week leading up to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival.

The Bible verse, ‘very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’ has helped the Hillcrest couple view their dogs passing the seed behind the birth and growth of their business.

“By doing this we feel we are getting back what we lost but a hundred fold. What I love the most is that dogs are my happy place. When I was child we had a pack of dogs and my greatest delight was spending time with them. This is my escape place, my happy place. It brings back my good childhood memories,” said Sonseirai.

There are bowls of water scattered across the yard as well as shell shaped paddle pools for pooches wanting a quick splash on a hot day. There are large, comfy cushions and garden furniture for the dogs to relax on and as soon as the sun starts to drop, the dogs gather around the TV unit and enjoy a relaxing evening with the couple. “I love cuddling dogs and bringing them though into a place where they can start to feel comfortable and have them realise they can start loving on us as their parents in the interim,” said Sonseirai.

A home away from home

“We wanted to create an environment where we would be comfortable with as our two dogs are our children. We take them with us everywhere. When we are at home they get treats, they sleep on our beds. It is as much their home as it is our home. That is the sort of environment we wanted to create for other dogs,” she said.

Only 20 dogs are taken at a time and there are always trained staff members on hand throughout the day. While you are enjoying your holiday, the dogs are also given a few adventures of their own as they are taken to the beach, for a walk through Giba Gorge or a calm afternoon out at the Kloof Memorial Park.

“Love and affection is critically important. We have a structured day and in the afternoon they have each have one-on-one time. They get their cuddles and their love needs are met,” said Candice.

The dogs accepted must be neutered and spayed and all vaccines must be up to date. All the owner needs to supply is the dog food, a few toys and blanky and, if applicable, the dog’s medication.

The couple are completely at ease with the animals and give off fun and friendly vibes as the group of dogs followed them around the yard, lay at their feet or across their laps. Your dogs may just be having an even greater time than you are on your holiday. So it is possible they too may suffer from post holiday depression when they return back home.