Peppi

Hello Pat. Firstly, thank you so much for looking after Peppi (and our son’s little pug); both have obviously been beautifully cared for.

And now that we have found you, we are more confident in ANOTHER little holiday!
A. King

Oscar

Dear Pat,

In a parking lot just now, Yugesh demonstrated how Oscar walks off lead and to heel. It was just perfect. I could have never imagined that this day would come. And especially kudos to Yugesh having that confidence to try it. A big thank you to you. It is all your training and pushing us.

Crystal

Hi, just to let you know Crystal, has settled back home lovely. We have taken her for walks on her lead, and is doing very well at it. Specially as it was in a busy place, and had lunch with us in a dog friendly place. She was very friendly with everyone, and is being stopped every minute, to tell us she is the cutest thing they have ever seen. Thanks for looking after her so well. We will be using you again, when ever we need someone to look after her. So she can see you and her dog friends again.
Love Pamela xxx

Luger

Hi Pat – it’s Wendy- Luger’s mum – regarding Luger’s two weeks training, just wanted to say thank you – Luger is a different dog – he is so calm and so loving its now a pleasure to be with him – we can’t believe the difference
xxxx

Angelisa

Simply amazing. I was very nervous about leaving my tiny chihuahua at kennels but Normandale were amazing from the start. Everyone here is truly welcoming and really do take amazing care of the animals. Pat was the lady mainly looking after my chihuahua Angelisa, and honestly can’t thank her enough. She would send WhatsApp pics and videos to show how Angelisa is doing. She went above and beyond and I’m so grateful. Angelisa has actually come back more confident around other dogs and people and that’s amazing.
Normandale thank you so much, I’ll highly recommend anyone looking for kennels to come here. The pricing also is very reasonable.

From Kelly

Simply put, I wouldn’t leave my dogs anywhere else. I have been using the kennels for daycare and boarding for about 5 year. When I drop them off, they go in as fast and enthusiastic as they come out. If my dogs are happy, then I’m happy. Kelly Ford.

The Rat Pack

Quite simply I would not trust any other kennels to look after my doggie family. Pat and all of her team are dedicated to the welfare of all animals and make sure your dogs have a great time which means you can have a guilt free holiday. I have also used Pat as a dog trainer and she has helped us overcome a serious behavioural issue with one of my dogs which was tearing my family apart. There are lots of kennels closer to us than Normandale but because of the high standards, care, attention and love my dogs receive I am more than happy to drive over a hundred miles to get there and will continue to do so.
All our love to you at Normandale From Ann and The Rat Pack

Cattery

Normandale kennels – I have used them for years to house and look after my cats whilst on holidays. The management and staff are a dedicated team who love and care for all animals that come to them. Their charity and rescue work they do (unfunded) says it all.

Sheba

Can’t begin to thank the staff at Normandale enough for the care that they gave to Sheba on her two week holiday with them. We have used Normandale on several occasions, fully confident that Sheba will be cared for as if she was one of their own pets. Specific dietary and exercise requirements are all noted and taken care of while your pet is with them. Sheba was also given a bath and pamper session the day before we collected her. Thank you again.
Paul, Toni and Sheba Viner

Dexter and Ezio

We would 100% recommend normandale boarding kennels. Our two have been staying here for years. Dexter can’t wait to go in, Ezio is a little more reluctant, but happily trots down the corridor to his holiday home. We know that our boys are safe, secure, well cared for and loved. Have also used the day care service, which was great to get them settled before a longer stay. The staff are wonderful, they know their stuff when it comes to animals. So massive thanks to you lovely lot, we would be lost without you.

Dolly

Just wanted to say a very big thank you for looking after Dolly while we were away. It was the first time we have ever left here for a weekend but it was great to feel that we had left her with people we could trust and would treat animals like they were there own.
I would now not even hesitate to have you look after them again. Great people with the care of the animals first on their mind.
Alan Sharpe

Brodie and Jack

Thank you so much for caring for my two spaniels while we were away. I explained to your staff about food intolerances and separation anxiety it did not seem a problem. Brodie was given the same food that I give him at home.
It was great that they shared the same kennel as they get on well together and their playtime in the paddock was together.
Your grooming parlour did a wonderful job with their coats . I did warn your staff that Jack the black spaniel was very difficult to trim they said they would give him time and treats to get him through it. The results are amazing and he will be coming back.
I collected 2 happy spaniels who were not sure they wanted to come home.
Chris Mitchell, Epping

Princess

Dear Pat,
Our move to the north of England is looking more promising now and hopefully we are moving in January.
We are sourcing a day care centre there for Princess. I would like to thank all of you for your kindness to Princess.
Your staff are absolute diamonds with the biggest hearts of gold I have ever met and I really do hope that I can find Princess a day care centre that is equally as outstanding.
Wishing you well for Xmas,
love Kerry, Kevin and Princess xxx

Jack

… just wanted to say thank you! You looked after our little Jack for a few days 8th-11th or so of August and clearly treated him brilliantly, even checking with us when we sent Dad to come pick him up early. Would definitely recommend your kennels to anyone.
Thank you so much,

Charli

Opey

Thank you Aunty Pat and team for giving me a fun day at Mutts but it is too early to go home helpppppp, I want to come back.I did sleep on the way home, just counting down the days til Mum goes on holiday ha ha. Ssee you on Wednesday at school. Love Opey xxxxx

Chloe

Hi Pat and Staff. This is a very, very huge thank you to you and all of your staff, for looking after our little miss princess Chloe. We are truly amazed how much care she received. I will recommend you to friends and I certainly will be using your services again. Thank you all, from a very happy Chloe’s Mummy and Daddy. Kaye and Dave Hewitt. xx ps Could you please thank them all for us xxx

A letter to Normandale

Pat at Normandale Kennels has over the years successfully rehomed some of our dogs from her kennels – our dogs travel from overseas and are very often scared, tired and in some cases traumatised by their journey. I know that the dogs are well looked after, because the staff are very caring and conscientious people who are extremely experienced with dog behaviours. That reassures me that whatever condition our dogs arrive in, it won’t be too long before they are settled and enjoying life at the kennels

Phoebe

Phoebe always went in to Normandale wagging her tail and in due course came out wagging her tail. We were always impressed by the fact that ALL the staff knew our dog by name and always made a fuss of her. Any medical and dietary needs were scrupulously written down and followed to the letter.
We will be back with our new dog, Jet, once she has settled in.
Brian and Brenda Hallows

Morgana

Pat,
I do miss Morgana like mad when I go away but I always trust her with you guys. Compared to other places, you all do such a good job looking after all the rescue dogs and the boarding dogs too.
I’m glad my little girl is in such brilliant, caring hands.
Glenn

Oscar

Pat, it’s been lovely to be able to take Oscar on dog walks with friends. All thanks to your help and training.
Thanks,
Lisa xx

Baylee

Hi Pat,
Thank you so much for all the help you gave us with Baylee at your classes and the advice you gave us. It made a big difference to her and she is now so much better with strangers, that sometimes I even forget that she had such a big problem with them. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Nicky

From Tina

We have been taking our Staffy to Pat’s classes for the last few months and we’re very pleased with the results at this early stage. Our Staffy’s dominance has greatly improved as he no longer pushes me out of my own chair or ‘tells’ me when to go to bed. Where he is used to dogs barking in class, he no longer takes any notice of dogs barking on TV. I am looking forward to what else our Staffy can learn from these lessons.
Tina Nixon

Billy

Hi Pat,
Thank you so much for seeing Billy on Friday; I’m sure you can imagine how relieved I feel and how it’s helped my confidence to know that he isn’t a dangerous dog, just a naughty puppy that needs to go to school!
Bill will be in classes very soon. I hope your dog show was a success yesterday. Thank you so much again. With love, Dominique

Jeff and Lucy

Dear Pat,
Jeff and Lucy looked fantastic when we picked them up from your kennels.
The trouble is, I think they wanted to stay ! There’s loyalty for you.
Ann and John Blyde xxx

Cyrus

Dear Pat and the Normandale team,
I would like to say a huge thank you to you all for helping us with our first rescue boy, Cyrus. After staying with you for an assessment and some of your tweaking, Cyrus is now a very happy boy and when out and about is more comfortable having other dogs around him and his sisters.
You gave me the confidence and the correct tools to help us deal with his problem. I cannot thank you all enough.
With love from Cyrus and his Family x

Morgana

Hi Pat and the team,
I would like to say a massive thank you for your help with the ongoing training of Morgana my German Shepherd. Without your help and guidance, I think I have might have pulled my hair out. Since she has been going to your one to one and group classes, she has become a better behaved dog.
I know I will be booking her into your kennels while me and my family go on holiday and I feel safe in my mind that she will be in great hands.
I will certainly recommend you and your team for training and kennels.
Once again a massive thank you.
Regards,
Glen Kay

Inca and Coco

Hi Pat and All,
Thanks again for the great care taken with Coco and Inca. They seem very happy after their holiday!
It so nice to have a place where they are so well cared for with such a personal touch.
Many thanks again,
Jennifer and John X

From Jennifer and John

Hi Pat,
I missed you yesterday and just wanted to to say hello!
It is so nice and reassuring to go on holiday with such a great kennel that I feel I dont have to worry about the girls!
Have a Happy Easter and please say hello to your Mom and Dad from us all.

Love Jen and John X

Rory

Dear all,
Just a note to say a huge thank you for taking such good care of Rory.
He is fully recovered now and I know it was down to the fantastic attention he received at Normandale.
Thanks also to Pat for your level headed advice and kindness.
See you all soon,
love,
Lois and Rory.

Kaya

Hi Pat,
Kim and myself would like to write and thank you for the wonderful job you did with Kaya whilst she was in your care. She obviously loved her holiday at your kennels and was given a lot of love and attention, coming back in great condition.
We would highly recommend you to any other dog owner wanting to find good accommodation for their pets.
Kaye Westgate and Kim Liddle

The Marshalls

We have no hesitation in recommending the professional care our dogs receive at Normandale Kennels. Pat and the team have all the animal’s welfare at heart and that is reflected in the excellent condition our dogs are in when we pick them up. We wouldn’t consider boarding our dogs anywhere else.
Lesley and Alan Marshall

Eric

Our Spaniel Eric trots off with Pat, Jackie, Karen or one of the girls with his tail wagging when he arrives at Normandale. We have absolute peace of mind that Eric will be very well looked after and so we don’t have to worry about leaving him at all.
He can’t always come away with us but we know that he is in excellent hands at Normandale thanks to Pat and her staff.

Best wishes and thank you.
Melanie and Neil Wakelin… and Eric of course.

Eric the Spaniel

Hi! I’m Eric the Spaniel and I have been visiting Normandale for my holidays since I was a puppy. Before sending me to Normandale for the first time, my masters asked their friends for recommendations of somewhere for me to stay. A millionaire golfing associate of my master said that his dogs really looked forward to going to Normandale and he wouldn’t want them to go anywhere else for their holidays. I thought if it was good enough for them then it might just be good enough for me, so I went for a long weekend to try the place out. Well I had a great time. Pat made me feel very welcome and I soon settled in and made lots of friends (dogs and humans), but before I knew it it was time to go home again.
Since then I’ve been to Normandale several times every year for more than 6 years and I always look forward to my visits. Pat, Jackie, Karen and all of the girls always look pleased to see me and I trot happily off to my kennel with a spring in my step as I look forward to meeting new friends each holiday.
I know that my masters can go away without worrying about me and so we all have a good time.
Eric the Spaniel (and Melanie and Neil Wakelin).

Oscar and Stella

Dear Pat,
We are always happy that the dogs are in good care and many of the staff have experience if there was anything wrong.
Both our dogs walk in quite happy, (well, Oscar walks in slower).
We feel that there are always several staff available, which in many kennels, we feel, if anybody was ill who would look after them? The dogs are known for their different ways and are looked after accordingly.
We are happy that the dogs are well treated and safe, we then enjoy our holidays , not having to worry about them.
A Very Happy New Year to you and all of your staff.
Take care,
Love
Jean Roger and Stuart, and of course Oscar and Stella.

Indianna

Dear Pat & all your staff,
My dog was in your care whilst I was away on a short break. During this time, she became ill and your staff reacted very promptly and contacted my vet. Through the whole time, I was kept fully informed and reassured.

I thank you for all your care and reassurance,

Take care, Louise & Indianna x

Jake and Hattie

It tugs my heart strings everytime I arrive at Normandale, to find my two “babies” champing at the bit to get out of the car, and into the kennels without a backward glance at mum! Yes, it hurts, but it also makes me safe in the knowledge that the two members of my family are quite happy to go off in the complete knowledge that they are off for fun, fun, fun! They are pleased to see me when I pick them up, but I know they have had a whale of a time, they don’t come home with that “doggy kennel smell” that I have had from periods of boarding before, and come home happy but exhausted.

The Kennel staff certainly know their stuff and can comment of what they notice on their charges on their return to their owners.

I also have to thank the staff for their quick actions in getting my dear Shenzi to the vet with a gastric torsion. Age was not with her, but I fear if she had been anywhere else, even at home with an animal sitter, her symptoms would not have been picked up so quickly.

Once you have boarded, your “babies” become part of the Normandale family, and every little detail is remembered. I think I have been boarding there for ……. coming up to 10 years, and would not go anywhere else.

Staff certainly know their stuff and I would have no hesitation in recommending the kennels.

D. Allery, Jake & Hattie the Weimeraners.

Kaya

Hi Pat,

Kaya is now with you and being looked after.
She is a bit thin at the moment possibly because she is missing her Mum and I do not think she has been eating too well. The nice lady who collected her said you might try some chicken which she likes!
She is a sweet dog but before Kim’s fiance came home with her at age 7 months I think she had been ill treated and kept outside and not socialised at all. She is responding a lot better now with people and loves a cuddle. Kim is happy that she is being cared for by you and I will keep in touch as to when she will be returning to the U.K.

Regards Kay

Sadie

To all my friends at Normandale Kennels
My Mummy has told me that I must write to say thank you for saving my life. I did not really know what was happening but Mummy has told me everything now I am back home and to think that if I had not been staying with you, I would never have gone home again. My mummy would now like to say something.
Hi Pat and everyone at Normandale,
We are so grateful that you and your staff are so caring and diligent. Spotting the symptoms of a Torsion we know is not easy. We also know that the condition is fatal if the dog is not taken to the vet within 50mins-1hr maximum and that it would be an agonising death. Had Sadie been at home with us, we would not have read the signs as Jackie did and I am certain Sadie would have died.
When taking Sadie to the vet for a final check and tests on Saturday, he told us that we were so lucky that you got her to them so quickly. He does not know how you knew it was a Torsion. He said her stomach was empty and that on his initial examination, he suspected bloat/gas. It was not until he tried to tube her that he realised that her stomach had in fact turned. It was at that point that he phoned your kennels and spoke to Karen to ask permission to operate and needless to say permission was granted on our behalf. No question, it was the right decision.
We are so grateful to you all and even though we have moved from the area, we would not dream of using any other kennels for our four legged friends. We were lucky this happened to Sadie during the day, had it been over night, we know we would not have been so lucky but it didn’t and you and your staff are on the ball when it comes to the animals in your care.
I hope you put this letter on your website, everyone should know the knowledge you have and how well their pets are cared for at Normandale.
Since arriving home, we have researched via the internet all about Torsion and realise just how very lucky we are and we now have a bit more knowledge about the condition. Everyone with a deep chested dog should know about this condition, it could save their dog’s life.
Yours very gratefully,
Jill and Cliff Lashmar and of course Sadie.

Lottie

To Pat and all the staff at Normandale Kennels.
Lottie has been coming to see you for the past 18 months whether it be for boarding, school or day care (the latter not out of necessity but because Lottie loves it there !) We have no hesitation in placing her in your care and as a result, Lottie is a very happy and sociable dog and would probably disown us if she had to stop coming.
We would like to take this opportunity to recommend Normandale Kennels to anyone thinking of placing their pets there while they are away or just busy for the day. It’s money well spent and reassuring to know our Lottie is in excellent hands.
A big thank you to everybody.
Kim,Phil and family.

Ginny

Dear Pat,
Since having our puppy Dalmation called Ginny, we have taken her to Normandale Kennels whilst we have been on holiday.
To her, this is a ‘home from home’ where she enjoys herself with the other dogs and has excellent care from you and all of the staff.
When taking her to Hatfield Forest for a good run, we pass the kennels and she thinks she is going to her holiday home. She gets excited and looks forward to her next stay with you !
Thankyou,
Ken and Elspeth