Testimonials

We asked some of our existing guests to tell us about their experience of staying at The Sighthound Savoy. Here’s what they had to say, well, their owners at least……

Max

We found the Sighthound Savoy when we were desperately scouring the internet for somewhere to look after our beloved greyhound Max while we went away for two weeks. Max was already 7 years old when he joined our family and was extremely anxious. After slowly building up his confidence he became the perfect companion for us, but we knew that we had to be very selective about who we left him with as he is nervous of strangers and unfamiliar surroundings.

When we spoke to Maria and Pete we could instantly tell they understood the breed, and that Max would be treated like a member of the family. They responded immediately to our enquiries and were really flexible about bringing Max to visit them (they live nearly an hour's drive away from us).

When we left Max for his trial night they kept us up to date with how he was getting on, and sent us lovely pictures of him with his new pals that let us know we didn't need to worry! He settled straight in and had a great time being part of a pack again. When we came to collect him the next day it was clear he felt very comfortable with them and had had a great time.

Max has now stayed at the Sighthound Savoy for two holidays, and has two more already booked in for next year. Our only concern is that he has such a great time when he's there he might not want to come home with us! Thanks to Maria and Pete for all they do, and a big thanks from Max who loves the “Toby’s Threads” bandana Maria made for him!

Sam amd Rachel - Wilmslow

Dolly and Ivy

“We have two female Greyhounds, Dolly and Ivy, who are gorgeous and loyal, but sadly Ivy is particularly shy and nervous around new people.  We wanted to find a place where we would be comfortable leaving them when we want to go away, where we knew they would get the same care they have at home and with people who understand their greyhound-y ways!   

Pete and Maria helped to ease our dogs’ anxiety, and ours, by having a meet and greet first, then an overnight trial and slowly building things up for our holiday.  This gave us peace of mind that our dogs would be happy and relaxed while we were away. 

We know when they stay they have excellent care, getting all the usual routine and luxuries they get at home: regular walks, meals, treats, fusses, and ample places to sleep around the house including upstairs in the human bedroom!  We even get excited to drop the girls off, as we also get to meet their lovely greyhounds too.  Maria and Pete are lovely too, and clearly care about all the dogs they look after.  They have completely won over Ivy, and deliver fusses on demand, when she gives her “paw of more”. 

We cannot recommend the Sighthound Savoy enough to leave your hound(s) while away, with full confidence they will get the best care. “

Helena and Adam - Whittle-le-Woods

Monty

“Monty is a very shy boy, it takes him time to completely trust humans and can also be very wary of other breeds, but happy in the company of other greyhounds.  We already had a holiday abroad planned and were not keen to send him back to kennels again, now he was used to his ‘home comforts’.  We put out a ‘help’ message for recommendations for a home boarder and Maria and Pete came highly recommended.  We arranged a “meet and greet” at their home, they were so very gentle and patient and there was absolutely no rush, they allowed Monty to have a wander round their garden and make his mark!  When introduced to Bluebell Monty instantly forgot he was painfully shy, and he soon made himself comfortable in one of the numerous dog beds.  He was introduced to Toby and Domingo and the gentle nature of these gorgeous hounds settled Monty straight away. The next stage was to plan a sleepover for him.  Understandably he was a bit unsettled at first, but Maria and Pete kept a close eye on him to make sure he wasn’t showing signs of stress in any way through the night.  Finally stage three was the full boarding process while we were on holiday.  The two previous meetings including the sleepover clearly helped Monty settle back in very quickly, enjoying walks and treats and tucking into his meals.

We were of course worried at first that he would pine and get stressed and worst of all, create upset, but we needn’t have been worried, Maria and Pete kept us up to date with regular pictures of our boy quite clearly being spoilt rotten and having fun and games with the other hounds! Maria and Pete’s patience and professionalism meant there were never going to be any issues, Monty will certainly be going for his own holidays with them in the future, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them if you are looking to board your hound in a pleasant, home environment, where nothing is too much trouble.You can rest assured that your beloved hound will be well cared for and treated like one of the family.They certainly have the Lord Montague of Coppull’s Seal of Approval!”

Mike and Jackie - Coppull

Lizzy

“After a three year wait to go on a holiday, when it finally came there had been a few changes in our circumstances. We had lost our lovely Jack back in December, which has had a big effect on our little old Liz, after being together for thirteen years and being fourteen years old herself, it goes without saying that to leave her for two weeks after not being left for three years was definitely not something I was looking forward to. However, Maria and Pete who are the best doggy holiday parents ever, made sure I could relax and enjoy my holidays without worrying about my little old girl. Lizzy lived in their home as if it was her own, and thoroughly enjoyed having kennel companions again, with Domingo especially filling the Jack sized hole missing from her life. I received daily updates and photographs of Liz making herself at home, as well as messages of reassurance of Liz’s wellbeing, and in some cases her mischievous behaviour which she passes off as doggie dementia! If it wasn’t for Maria and Pete, I could not have had a holiday at all, but their care and individual understanding of every dog in their care, means I can leave my lovely old girl and know she is looked after just as she is at home. Thank you so much Maria and Pete, we really appreciate how you care for dogs as if they are your own.”

Sam - Accrington

Mowse, Indi and Didi

“I met Maria whilst out walking my dogs with my son who was then a baby. I have Whippets and Maria, Greyhounds, so we instantly had a connection. I was on maternity leave and eventually would start my business up as a full-time dog walker, previously I had boarded, bred Whippets, walked and rescued dogs. Having this experience and knowledge around dogs makes finding someone to look after my Whippets difficult, as my expectations are set very high. Any sighthound owner will know the risks involved in owning one, when it comes to wildlife and livestock. So it takes great trust to send my 3 girls to live away from home whilst my family is away. They have lived at Maria & Pete's lots of times, whether for a night or a fortnight, nothing is ever to much to ask. My girls get very excited if we visit or pass on walks, I truly believe when I go on holiday, so do my girls at The Sighthound Savoy. I have never put my dogs in kennels and having dropped my own clients dogs at kennels, I know for certain it's somewhere I would never send them. It's to noisy and they could never have the home comforts a sighthound needs. I'm very fortunate to have Maria and Pete so local to me, with all the knowledge and training they have. Without them I wouldn't enjoy going away quite so much, when I get the chance to.”

Mia – Accrington

Otis

“Otis is a senior rescue greyhound who is now 10 years of age and naturally he is super special and has his own quirks. He refuses to walk with any other member of my household but me so he is quite demanding ! I had been looking for a couple of years for someone who was a sighthound specialist and could provide a true 'home from home' with real affection and soft comfy beds. I arranged a meet and greet first of all and was blown away by Maria and Pete's genuine love for all dogs which is obvious as soon as you meet them. Otis was a bit shy and I was worried about how he would cope with other dogs. I then arranged an overnight stay and I must admit I found it very hard to leave him - worrying that he would be unsettled or difficult. My worries were unfounded however. When I went to collect him he was clearly very relaxed and had apparently spent much of his time relaxing with Domingo. I was very impressed when Pete mentioned that he had got up in the middle of the night to check on him. I have not felt comfortable enough to leave Otis in anyone else's care for some years but now I feel comfortable that if I have to go away he is very much enjoying his own mini break. Maria and Pete really are the people you want in your life if you have a hound and need some holiday care.”

Steph – Hebden Bridge

Roly

“This is a brilliant place for a sighthound to go on holiday. Maria and Pete are so caring and show the visiting hounds as much love and attention as they do their own hounds. Cannot recommend highly enough! The setup is very clean and has umpteen comfortable places for the hounds to get comfy! They have been very thoughtful in getting to know my greyhound and he got a day visit and overnight test run where he was able to make sure it suited his needs. He struggles with slippery floors and loves sofas so this place was perfectly set up to make him comfy! He has made lots of new friends! Thanks so much for taking such care of my precious boy.”

Jo – Penwortham