Half of Pet Parents Rely On ‘Grandpawrents’ For Care – Here’s How They Make it Work

Whenever my husband and I book a holiday abroad, our dog Lucy goes on a holiday of her own – to my mum and dad’s house in Leicestershire. One summer, we went to Canada for three weeks, but before we set off, I packed up all Lucy’s things – her bed, her food and her toys – and drove Lucy the 100 miles north from London. She always gets so excited when we pull up outside my parents’ house, hurling herself out of the car and through the gate to greet her grandparents.

Because here’s the thing, I don‘t leave Lucy with someone she doesn’t know and I definitely wouldn’t check her into a kennel. That’s not down to how much it costs (the average London dog-sitting rate is £303.87 per week, FYI), but because she’s a rescue dog who was found as a stray and I’d never want her to think she was being abandoned again. 

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That’s not to say kennels and pet sitters aren’t the right decision for a lot of people, it’s just that my parents looking after Lucy is the solution that makes me feel the most comfortable. And I’m not alone. This is the rise of the “Grandpawrent” pet-sitter – dubbed so by MoneySuperMarket, whose recent research found that 51 percent of parents or in-laws regularly look after their adult children’s pets. Like me, almost two thirds of adults in the UK won’t consider putting their dog in a kennel, while 65 percent wouldn’t choose a house-sitter, either.

“Kennels are no longer the go-to, not just because of cost, but because we now better understand our dogs’ emotional needs,” says Kara Gammell, who’s a pet insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket. “Some dogs find kennels isolating, while using a boarder or pet-sitter can still feel unsettling when it means having someone you don’t know in your home. Having a pet stay with a parent is a great solution, as they’re with someone you love and trust.” 

Home from home for sensitive pups

Tattoo artist Fidjit lives in Scotland but she regularly travels across the UK and beyond for guest spots at tattoo shops. Like Lucy, Fidjit’s dog Albert is a “very sensitive boy” so she can’t take him with her to busy cities with lots of people. “If I’m going somewhere quieter he enjoys it, but for the most part it’s better for him to go stay with my parents and get pampered there.” 

Albert is a miniature English Bull Terrier, “they’re a unique breed and very family-oriented so having my parents look after him just makes perfect sense,” explains Fidjit, “he knows them well and feels safe with them. They’ve known him since he was a puppy so he’s very much at home in their house.”

Fidjit’s parents, Angel and Amanda, are self-described dog people and well-accustomed to the quirks of the Bull breed – “we had three English Bull Terriers when I was young,” Fidjit tells me – and they adore it when Albert comes to stay.

“We love his character and he’s the most gentle, lovely little guy,” says Fidjit’s mum, who really likes the routine that Albert brings. During summer, Albert hangs out with Fidjit’s parents in their garden while they hand-feed him ice and strawberries. “We love him so much,” says Fidjit’s mum.

Albert has his own things at his grandparents’ house, too – “his own bed, which is hard to get him to move from,” laughs Fidjit, “his toys and a little basket full of creams and supplements – because he’s got skin allergies, which is pretty common in white Bull Terriers.” It’s the most perfect set up for Albert – “I’d never leave him with anyone else, he has quite specific needs and things that he likes and I know that my parents know all of these things,” she tells me. 

While mum’s at work… 

For other pets, a visit to Grandma and Grandad’s house is a far more regular occurrence – around two in five (41 percent) “Grandpawrents” are looking after their grand-dog at least once a week. 

“Billy gets ‘dognapped’ twice a week by his grandparents,” says Kate, a single dog mum who documents Billy’s antics on Instagram @billythecavapoo. On a Tuesday, Kate’s dad will pick Billy up on his way home from golf. “After they’ve been for a nice walk, Billy gets a rich tea or digestive biscuit when they get home and they also feed him dinner.” When Kate finishes work, she heads straight over to her parents’ – “they cook dinner for me, too!” –  where she spends the evening before taking Billy home. It’s the same routine each Thursday, too – “he’s dognapped again, then I go to theirs for dinner and reclaim my dog!”

Kate and her parents, Shirley and Peter, live near New Forest in the UK – “perfect for dog walking,” says Kate, who says her mum and dad are “dog people who never wanted the tie of a dog.” In that way, Kate getting a dog was ideal for them – “I got all the puppy mess, walks in the peeing rain and dark, and picking up the poop full-time while they can enjoy a dog as and when suits their ‘busy’ life of being retired,” jokes Kate.

Sounds ideal, so does this arrangement come with any cons? I ask Kate. “I’m no longer the favourite child,” she laughs. “As an only child, I was always the favourite child. But now it’s the dog.” Alas, the endless pros make up for Kate losing the top spot. “Billy gets company and a nice walk twice a week – and fed biscuits and cheese etc – and I get my dinner cooked for me twice a week.” Sounds like a win-win situation. “It keeps my parents active, too,” adds Kate.

Feeling the puppy love

Fidjit has always been “mega close” with her mum and dad – “I’m very lucky to have them,” she says. But mostly, Fidjit appreciates that she can relax knowing not only that Albert is in very safe hands but also that he’s feeling safe, too. “Even though he’s very attached to me, he’s so attached to them too,” she says. “I think that’s what he likes about it the most, as much as he misses me, he’s completely spoiled and loved by them.”

Lucy’s definitely pampered by her grandparents, too. My mum chats to her while she potters in the kitchen and each evening she carefully picks out Lucy’s dinner from her selection of food she keeps in her house. “How about succulent poultry pie?” my mum once asked Lucy, and my dad replied: “Yes, please,” thinking that Mum was talking to him. Sorry Dad.

And that’s one of the most reassuring things about Lucy staying with them: the constant updates they send to me over WhatsApp about what they’re getting up to – from snuggling with my dad while watching TV after a walk in the local park to Lucy paddling her feet in the river near their house. Even the fact that I know Lucy has a ‘favourite’ spot at their house (on the carpet at the top of my parents’ staircase) is reassuring. I’m always thinking about her and missing her when I’m not with her, but at least I’m not worrying about her. Fidjit’s parents are the same – “they send me absolutely loads of photos and videos of Albert, always,” she says, which puts her mind at ease knowing that he’s safe and happy. 

Here‘s to the grandpawrents!