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Darcy and Darla, a Dalmatian and a Dalmatian/Staffy Cross Win An Incredible Travel Job That Had Over 100,000 Applicants
Two utterly delightful dogs, Darcy and Darla from Liverpool, have been selected to become Canine Cottages’ Canine Critics for 2022.
More than 100,000 dogs from all across the UK applied for this dream job. This opportunity involves staying in and reviewing four of Canine Cottages’ dog-friendly holiday homes from around the UK.
'We are so excited to explore the UK thanks to Canine Cottages... We feel so lucky and truly grateful for this opportunity and we hope to do you all proud!' - Molly, Darcy & Darla’s Owner.
Darcy, a 7-year old Dalmatian, and Darla a 2-year old a Dalmatian/Staffy Cross, stood out with their sense of adventure and their love of travelling the UK, which they frequently document on their Instagram account. Regularly showcasing their exciting quests across the Liverpool City Region and the wider UK, all recorded through their stunning photographs and videos.
Their owners were also very candid about Darla’s epilepsy and how important dog-friendly holidays are to them, as they enable Darla to live life to the full while still staying close to her owners’ side.
As the newly selected Canine Critics, Darcy and Darla will be staying at four Canine Cottages around the UK (a prize worth around £4,000), documenting their travels on social media and also writing reviews of their cottage holidays for the Canine Cottages website.
Upon finding out they were chosen as the Canine Critics for 2022, Darcy and Darla’s owner, Molly, said: 'We are so excited to explore the UK thanks to Canine Cottages. We can’t wait to try and test four stunning locations and see what each area has to offer for both human and hound!'
The pups Owner, Molly, added: 'Even better, we get to share all our adventures and thoughts with our friends online. We feel so lucky and truly grateful for this opportunity and we hope to do you all proud!'
To apply to be a Canine Critic, dogs and their owners were asked to share a brief ‘pup personality’ description as well as a recent photo. The company was looking for dogs with character and an obvious love of fun and adventure, along with a willing human who would be able to capture their experiences staying with Canine Cottages.
'What stood out for me was both the way that Darla has resiliently coped with her epilepsy diagnosis and is able to live her life to the fullest by enjoying her many adventures' - Madeline Shaw, Pets At Home’s Director of Propositions & Canine Critic Judge .
Selecting a winner from over 100,000 entries was no easy task, but fortunately this was aided by the superb Canine Critic judging panel:
Ali Taylor (Battersea’s Head of Canine Behaviour).
Madeline Shaw (Pets At Home’s Director of Propositions).
Graeme Hall (Dog Trainer & Star of Channel 5’s Dogs Behaving Very Badly).
Madeline Shaw said about Darcy and Darla: 'Darcy & Darla's owners clearly have a huge passion for pets. What stood out for me was both the way that Darla has resiliently coped with her epilepsy diagnosis and is able to live her life to the fullest by enjoying her many adventures, as well as the clearly heart-warming partnership that both her and Darcy have for each other.'
Several other pups also won prizes, with nine other shortlisted entries, as well as ten selected at random from all 100,000 entries, also winning a Canine Cottages voucher to spend on a holiday of their choice. This included Woody The Cockapoo, Reggie The Beagle and Dylan The Dachshund
Canine Cottages is leading the way for dog-friendly holidays Canine Cottages is dedicated to providing fantastic accommodation across the UK, where your dog - no matter what shape, size or breed - is just as welcome as you are.
Spanning England, Scotland and Wales, they feature over 5,000 fabulous, pet-friendly places to stay where four-legged friends are not just ‘allowed’ but encouraged and welcomed with open arms.
Big, small, lively or lazy - Canine Cottages welcome all dogs, and better yet, if you’re lucky enough to have more than one pup in your pack, almost two-thirds of them welcome two or more dogs!
You can enter in the 2023 competition and put forward your lovable four-legged friends for a fabulous opportunity.
You can find out more about Darcy and Darla, and read about their upcoming adventures on the Canine Cottages 2022 Winners Blog as well as any more coverage that we at The Liverpudlian report on.