A Santa's Grotto For Dogs Opened Its Doors For Christmas In Manchester
Published
Featured Image Credit: Mercury Press And Media
A Santa's grotto for dogs has opened its doors in Manchester so our beloved pooches can meet their very own Santa Paws.
K9 Swim dog hydrotherapy centre in Newton Heath is welcoming hounds and their owners to meet Father Christmas and his hardworking elves during the holiday season.
The one-of-a-kind grotto was launched at the centre in 2016 so our furry four-legged friends wouldn't miss out on the festive action.
Owner Marti Wood, 30, said: "A lot of people try to involve their pets during Christmas by buying gifts for them, so I think the dog grotto ties in with that. We just wanted to do something a bit different."
"We were unable to run it for a few years because we were renovating our building and didn't have space for the grotto, but we're bringing it back this year because we got a lot of calls from customers asking about it.
"We're very excited to have it back and have made the grotto from scratch and have gone with a Santa's house theme," he added.
"Santa gets very into it all - in 2016 a Great Dane came into the grotto and he said to the owner 'wow I've got a reindeer smaller than that!'"
Each pampered pooch gets to meet Santa and his elves, who are armed with treats, for a photo opportunity and will receive a present at the end.
When it's not a festive paradise, K9 Swim offers hydrotherapy for fun, fitness, rehabilitation and weight loss, and helps many dogs that are thought to be paralysed get back on their feet.
Due to the immense response to Santa Paws, the centre is hiding twelve golden tickets in the gifts given out by Santa.
Prizes range from a free groom or swim session and, for one very lucky winner, an experience day in the pool shadowing one of their hydrotherapists.
Marti added: "Sometimes the owners are more excited than the dogs, especially if their children have all grown up or if they don't have any, and treat their dog like it's their child."
The grotto is running throughout December, until Christmas Eve. It costs £10 per dog and more information can be found here.