Preston 'doggy daycare' service planned - complete with calm room

Preston City Council has been asked for permission for the facility in a vacant commercial unit on Eldon Street in Ashton-on Ribble – giving dog owners a new place to leave their pooches while they are at work

According to documents submitted to the authority, the proposed Danson’s Doggy Daycare venture would form the next stage in the “responsible development” of Danson’s Dog Walking.

Town hall planners have been told that the proposal – for an area made up of residential and commercial properties – is “explicitly limited in scale”.

A maximum of six dogs will be present on site at any one time, a cap said to recognise both “the modest size of the premises” and the “operational approach” of applicant Gina Danson – to prioritise “high welfare standards, close supervision and calm group management”.

The facility would be open from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday, and – subject to demand – between 9am and 2pm on Saturdays.

A planning statement lodged with the city council says that the premises will be “divided into defined functional areas to support welfare and management”.

They will include “a main supervised daycare room for group enrichment and interaction, a separate calm/quiet room to allow dogs to rest away from the main group where required [and] a small staff and storage area for equipment, cleaning materials and records”.

Ms. Danson is described as being “experienced in handling small groups of dogs safely, and trained in reading canine body language and behaviour”, having worked professionally with dogs for five years.

The dogs would be collected and returned as part of the service and walk-in trade would not be permitted.