Meet the Peterborough couple who started a volunteer 'doggy cafe' in Stanground - helping anxious dogs thrive

A Peterborough couple, who opened a cafe for dogs in Stanground, have said it has been “lovely” to create a community of pet owners.

Clair and Gary Albone, also from Stanground, opened their doggy cafe at The Hub Tenter Hill community centre, in Wessex Close, during April last year.

The cafe has gone from strength to strength ever since, bringing together dog owners in the area over a cup of tea and slice of cake while their animals get to know each other.

"It’s been really nice to bring these dogs together in a safe environment with other dog owners,” Clair, who runs the cafe as a volunteer every Thursday morning, said.

"It’s nice to see little pups come in and to watch them grow up into full-size dogs, and it’s also nice when dogs, who in the past have had a bit of anxiety, come and become more comfortable around other dogs.

"There’s lots of outside space for them to walk around and all of the dogs are kept on leads – so everyone is responsible for their own dogs, and it’s not like they are all running around freely.

“They all find their feet and as new dogs come in they’ll have a sniff around to introduce themselves to each other – but once they’ve been down a couple of times they all really enjoy it.”

In the last year, Clair and Gary have fostered a Romanian rescue dog, opened the doggy cafe, and set up their own dog treats business – Pawsome Treats Peterborough.

“It’s been lovely,” Clair said. “We’ve now got foster dog number two ready to go to his new home.

"It’s been great to have the support of The Hub.

"We’d love to be able to open other days, but because we’re a volunteer-based community hub it’s down to having the volunteers available to be able to open up and introduce more sessions.”

The doggy cafe is open at The Hub every Thursday, from 9.30am – 11.30am.

Join the Stanground Dog Owners Facebook group for more information.