Ayrshire town set for new doggy daycare

Largs, in North Ayrshire, could soon welcome a new doggy daycare under new plans lodged with the local authority.

Businesswoman Lynsey Ewing has applied for planning permission for the facility – called The Pooch Pod – at the Bluestone Gift Shop premises in Lovat Street.

The facility would operate five days a week, with a fence built to allow the dogs outside, and new jobs created.

Ewing trained to be a dog groomer last year and her business has gone from strength to strength.

She told Largs and Millport Weekly News: “More and more people have asked me about doing doggy care sitting, and then this opportunity came up at Bluestone. I thought I could carry on my dog grooming and expand it into a doggy daycare centre. There will be a pet retail centre at the front and I will focus on my doggy daycare to the back of the centre.

“I have done lots of research with dog daycare centres around Britain and picked up lots of good ideas.”

Ewing said the facility will also include doggy sensory areas, ball pits, a big sofa for dogs to lounge on, and TV on the wall with soothing music and sounds.

“I will need two extra people so I will bring in jobs and there might an opportunity for more than that in future.”

Largs and Millport Weekly News reports that some neighbours have voiced opposition to the proposal over the noise caused by barking dogs, smells and the six-foot fence in the garden area surrounding the building.

Ewing said: “I think the people of Largs will really appreciate having somewhere for their dogs to go and can interact with other dogs and is going to be fun.

“There are a lot of people who bought a dog over lockdown and now everyone is going back to their work. People are going from home working to hybrid working so loads of families are looking for some additional support or help.”