Thomas Cook Get Tails Wagging

It's that old age problem; what to do with the beloved pet whilst going on holiday?

Unless you want to get your furry friend a Pet Passport (around £140 and six months of planning) and take him with you on your holidays (they can travel in the belly of jets, and in the car on the ferries), then the kennels are the only answer. And that's a depressing thought for many trying to book their holidays at this time of the year for the summer.

But for those lucky lot in Lancaster, Thomas Cook might have just the answer.

The Thomas Cook travel agency in Kirkby Lonsdale has teamed up with an operation called Barking Mad who promise to do their utmost to treat little Fido, of Fifi, to the best service possible.

While the owners are on the beach lapping up the sun, they can rest assured that Thomas Cook and Barking Mad have found homes for the pets with sympathetic and understanding surrogate owners.

The idea is that Barking Mad finds owners that will mirror the pet's own owners habits. So feeding routines, types of food, number of walks, all combined with a loving home, will make the pet feel that they are also having a break. This, say Barking Mad, makes the whole affair considerably less stressful than traditional kennels.

Thomas Cook has embraced the idea with gusto and are even offering vouchers (valid for one night of the intended stay) to those people who, worried about their pets, nonetheless book a holiday with them before the end of February 2010.

Thomas Cook know from experience that many people are simply put off from booking a holiday because they do not trust a kennel to look after their pet properly. Owners know that cats and dogs can become extremely stressed when it comes to leaving the family home. And pet experts have known for a long time that dogs especially have no way of knowing that their owner is to return. For them, once the owner is out of sight, it's almost as if each time will be the last they see them.

But at least, with a scheme such as offered by Thomas Cook and Barking Mad, owners will at least be reassured that they have done everything in their powers to give their pet a good time.

And if you don't live in Lancaster, suggest this idea to your own local branch of Thomas Cook.

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