Plasma televison, luxury massage and a facebook diary - all mod cons for Wirral's pampered pooches (From Wirral Globe)

Plasma televison, luxury massage and a facebook diary - all mod cons for Wirral's pampered pooches

9:42am Monday 8th October 2012 in News By Stephanie Cureton

LUXURY massages, plasma televisions, a facebook diary and freshly-prepared meals - sound like your average top hotel?

No, these are the indulgences on offer at new dog kennels in Wirral.

Former Big Brother contestant and dog-lover Rebeckah Vaughan transformed her home into a haven for pampered pooches as an antidote to traditional kennels. She wanted No More Kennels to give dog-owners peace of mind while they were away that their hounds were being looked after to the highest standard.

The 29-year-old, from Prenton, revamped her six-bedroom house to house up to six dogs at a time with cosy settees, wide-screen televisions and special ‘chill-out’ massages.

And for pooches struggling to cope with being away from their owners, she also offers a dedicated bedroom they can share with a human for round-the-clock individual care.

Rebeckah, who was evicted second from the Big Brother house in last year’s series, said she first had the idea for No More Kennels when she realised she could not bear to leave her dog, Pucci, alone.

She said: “After Big Brother, I found myself having to travel around a lot for work and be away for days at a time. The thought of her being locked away in a concrete jail all week broke my heart and I knew I had to do something.

“At first I just advertised locally to look after other Chihuahuas but then calls started coming in for different breeds and I couldn’t say no! "I make sure each dog gets the attention they deserve so I will only take six dogs at a time, although I have around 60 registered at the moment.

“The owners use the service for all kinds of reasons – from going on holiday for weeks at a time to just leaving their dog with me while they go to work.”

As part of their package, the dogs are served home-cooked meals such as chicken, salmon and liver and bathed every night before bed. For owners who cannot deal with time away from their pets, she also updates Facebook with a ‘dog diary’ to show what they have been up to that day.

Instead of a usual walk, the dogs are taken in a tailor-made van to different locations for “cultural walks” and are also given the chance to wind down in front of the television – although Rebeckah has strict rules about their viewing choices.

She said: “When they check-in, I’ll usually assess the weather and decide whether to take them out or not – if it’s raining, the dogs will take one look outside and turn the other way, though! “They have their own living room where they can find their own comfy spot and I’ll put something like a nature programme on for them because they love seeing and hearing other animals on-screen. But one thing I will not allow for sure is Jeremy Kyle!”