Dog lovers Lesley and Mike, live in the heart of Cheltenham. Mike originally from London, moved to Cheltenham in 1970 while Lesley was born in Dorset and arrived in Gloucestershire in 1977.

Currently they have no other pets but have both been brought up with various animals. Lesley had her very own first dog at the age of 16, later she had two little black terrier pups from an animal shelter. Mike’s first dog was a mongrel and went on to own an Alsatian and he adored them both. As with most of Pet Carers Host families, this is the first time they have had no dog of their own and they miss having that canine companionship.

Both being very active, state they love to walk and take various country hikes. Individually, Lesley is a keen gardener while artistic Mike indulges in painting and drawing. He runs his own architectural business from his home with the
help and support of his wife, Lesley.

Lesley contacted Pet Carers during April 2006 when she saw an advert for Host Families in the Gloucestershire
Echo and has since proved to be a valuable member to the Home Boarding Team. They love having dogs to stay
for their doggie holidays but at the same time they find relief in the freedom of no longer having the commitment
of being a dog owner.

Lesley says, “We desperately miss having dogs of our own but it’s nice to be able to come and go as we please without worrying about getting back home in time for sake of the dog. However, working with Pet Carers has given us the gift of having dogs around to love and play with for various periods of time. The variety of dogs we’ve looked after since April 2006 is amazing.

We’ve had Labs, Boarder Collies, Shih-Tzus, Spaniels, Boxers, Westies, Mongrels and they all have their own personalities.

Mike and I keep a photo album of all the dogs we look after as a reminder of the love and friendship they give us.”