A pet sitting service based in Cumbria has come out top dog in national customer review rankings.

Barking Mad professional dog sitting service is celebrating after being rated the best out of hundreds of pet companies across the UK receiving 3000 customer reviews over the past year.

The company launched its alternative to traditional dog kennels in 2000 by pairing pets with a network of host families it now has a number of franchises.

The customer feedback has been verified by independent review company Trustpilot which confirmed the testimonials have seen 96% of clients awarding Barking Mad the full five-star rating with a score of 9.9 out of 10.

Lee Dancy, managing director and founder of Kirkby Lonsdale-based Barking Mad, said: “Customer feedback really has been instrumental in helping us build credibility, popularity and an enviable reputation.

“The hard work, professionalism and dedication to customer service from our network of franchise pet business owners has paid off.

“It has enabled our excellent statistics which rocket us into the premier position. Our ranking is number one in the animals and pets category as well as fourth in leisure which lists nearly 1,000 UK businesses.

“It is crucial to our continued success that we listen to our customers and provide the service they desire. We’re delighted.”

Gwen Reid, the 3000th reviewer, was presented with flowers for herself and a Pets at Home voucher for her dogs Bella and Layla who are regular Barking Mad holidaymakers. Her new puppy, Beau, will be joining them soon.

In her glowing review Gwen said: “We have been using Barking Mad for a couple of years, I cannot recommend them highly enough.

"We leave our dogs knowing they will be loved and cared for while we are away. The team take every step to ensure that both owners and pets get the five-star treatment.”