Eileen is happy to be a Barking Mad canine helper
Your four- legged friend can enjoy a relaxing time while you also enjoy a holiday
Eileen Kerr opens her Ayrshire home to dogs offering them a holiday home while their owners are away.
She is one of many devoted dog lovers who enjoy the companionship of a four legged friend while the owners are away as part of the Barking Mad scheme.
And Eileen of Pennyburn, Kilwinning, loves spending her time with woman’s best friend.
“I had swithered about getting a dog but I love my holidays away,” said Eileen.
“When I saw a poster for Barking Mad I realised that I could enjoy the companionship of a dog but be pet free when I wanted to go away. “And I have to say it has changed my life. “I have met so many people when I am out and about and
Step inside Eileen’s home and you would be fooled into thinking Casper the Schnauzer, her latest lodger, is her own pet.
He sits on her lap, loves being stroked and the pair seem as though they have been pals for years.
But Eileen knows that it will be a short lived romance as Casper was only staying for 10 days while his owners attended a family wedding in Greece.
“I make sure these dogs have the best holiday away from their home and surroundings that I can give them,” said Eileen.
“And I have to admit I would have dogs every day of the year, they are the best company and while I know I have to give them back to their owners, the last day when I return home to the empty house is always tinged with a little sadness - until the next lodger arrives at the door.”
Barking Mad’s Faye Carruthers has a group of host families who regularly meet and share their doggy tales.
“Since becoming involved I am amazed at the camaradare among the people who offer the dogs their homes,” said Faye.
“They are a truly great bunch of people and it is amazing how much they get out of their time with the dogs.”
Owning a dog makes older people fitter and healthier, according to new research from the University of St Andrews.
The research, published in the journal Preventative Medicine, found that dog owners over the age of 65 act 10 years younger than their biological age.
The study, led by Dr Zhiqiang Feng also found that owning a dog can also have a beneficial effect on an elderly person’s metal health.
Previous studies have looked at the positive benefits of pet ownership on the elderly, with dog owners being shown to have fewer symptoms of depression and decreases in blood pressure and heart rate but this is the first study to look at levels of physical activity in the over 65 group.
Dr Feng concluded: “It is well known that pet ownership may help alleviate feelings of loneliness in older people, but one area that has received little attention is the effect of dog ownership on the physical activity levels of the elderly.
“Our results show that dog ownership is associated with an increased level of physical activity in the over- 65s. We found older dog owners were 12 per cent more active than their counterparts who didn’t.”