Canine Santa's grotto will help dog charity

Leon and Matt Towers-Rood, who run House of Hugo in Dolphin Road, Shoreham, are setting up the grotto on December 14 and 15.

Customers will pay £5 to visit Father Christmas and receive a gift, and £1 from each ticket will go to the Dogs Trust.

Leon said: “Christmas isn’t just for children, it’s for dogs too.”

He said they had big plans, including a ‘centre of excellence for dogs’.

“In the new year, we are opening a new centre with over six acres of land, where our dream really will come true, as we are opening a self-funded rehoming centre on site.”

He said the project had been ‘in the melting pot’ for months and would provide every aspect of dog care.

Leon and Matt have featured on television and are now in the late stages of finalising their own reality show for Sky.

Leon has just finished a new qualification to specialise in severe spinal cases and a new diploma in hydrotherapy, which concentrates on anatomy, physiology and joint disorders.

Matt has completed an intensive year’s training at the International Animal Behaviour Training Centre, run by Angela White, top behaviourist for the Kennel Club.

The new super-centre, which will be on a site outside Shoreham, will include a hotel with themed rooms, replicating home comforts.