James, his dogs, and a farmhouse full of life
James started out home boarding dogs in London itself, right alongside his own family, which has always included something enormous and something pocket sized in equal measure, a couple of Great Danes on one end and Mr Big the Chihuahua on the other, a dog with a name several sizes too big for him and opinions to match.
As things grew, he moved the whole operation out to a rambling farmhouse in the shires, fields and hills on every side, and turned a proper old barn into the heart of daycare, stacked with toys and blankets and warm for the colder months, alongside space for the boarders to call their own. To bring dogs out from town, he kitted out a van and brought in a dedicated driver, so daycare and boarding could carry on just as they always had, only with a much better view.
There's a small team of wonderfully experienced, caring hands helping run things these days, some of whom live in at the farmhouse, so your dog is never without someone who knows them well, day or night. James is always there overseeing it, and still walks many of the dogs himself, so every guest gets the James touch, though even he takes the odd day off, safe in the knowledge the team knows exactly how he likes things done. After this many years and this many breeds, from giants to working dogs to teacup miniatures, he's more or less the original dog man in London.
Plenty of his clients travel for work, sometimes for longer than planned, and he's used to managing a long stay with just as much care as a weekend one, airport collections included. His client list includes a fair few well known names, and discretion is simply part of how the farmhouse operates, nothing is ever shared without permission, and every client deals with James directly, never a booking office. Outside of work, James supports dog charities and local dog events, and has a habit of taking in waifs and strays, probably more often than is strictly sensible.
James, Founder
