Dear Gillie,
I hope this email finds you well and that you have had a great start to the New Year!
I just wanted to write to you to tell you what a pleasure it was to meet Joan and Steve and how delighted we were with how well they took care of Roxy and Elvis. It was a difficult time for us, having just lost Lucy, and I thank you all for your compassionate understanding and for being so accommodating of all the uncertainty and last minute date changes. As you can imagine, it was not easy leaving both Roxy and Elvis so shortly after saying goodbye to Lucy, however our minds were immediately put to rest upon meeting both Joan and Steve, and it was incredibly reassuring to see how quickly the dogs took an instant liking to them both.
As part of the change of plans, I ended up staying a few nights in the house whilst Joan and Steve were there too. it was such a pleasure getting to know them both. I was so impressed with how naturally they took to the responsibilities; the house was always immaculate and Joan confidently took over the responsibilities of the dogs’ routine so quickly that it really allowed me to relax and enjoy my time both in the country and whilst away in London over New Years!
Upon returning after New Years, it was immediately obvious that Elvis has certainly found a new love in Joan, and it was so nice to see them forge such a strong bond. Elvis is definitely a particular little dog, and at times can be difficult and stubborn. However, there were no signs of this around Joan, he seemed to adore her company and her calming non-indulgence of his bad habits (barking, crying, tantrums, messing inside) meant that they almost vanished instantly and he transformed into a delightfully normal little dog throughout their stay.
It was also such a relief to see how attentive they both were to Roxy. She is an elderly dog (14yrs old – despite her absolute denial of this fact), and as a result her daily routines require more management and attention to detail than normal. The particularities of her feed and medicines alone are complicated, in addition there is the extra attention and help that she needs due to her age and impaired mobility. But non of this fazed Joan at all and she attentively undertook every aspect of Roxy’s care, for which I am truly grateful.
All in all, we couldn’t have been happier with how everything went, and it is really great to have met two really lovely people who we know that we can entrust with our cherished Roxy and Elvis, as well as our home. Thank you and we will definitely be in touch when planning our next vacation!!
There is no doubt that I will be recommending ‘Animal Aunts’ with absolute confidence, it is really a wonderful service that you offer and please feel free to reach out for any reference or recommendation that you might need for Joan and Steve in particular.
With best regards,
- Claire
