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Janet Green and Greenlow Kennels

Janet and John Green have lived in Melbourn for 29 years, running the friendly boarding kennels at the southern end of the village.

As a young girl Janet was obsessed with animals – her mother Gwen bred and showed Keeshunds and Great Danes – and whilst still at school she worked part time at Mr. Staton’s Veterinary Surgery in Wood Green, North London. She started her formal training at the prestigious Bellmead Kennels in Old Windsor, and they had a contract with Cunard to provide kennel services on the QE2. Janet was fortunate enough to be chosen to make the Atlantic crossing on a number of occasions, looking after the pampered pooches of the wealthy passengers. The kennels occupied a special place on board which even boasted a bench and a lamp post to make the dogs feel at home! Of course, provided the animals were vaccinated on arrival in New York they could just trot off the boat, but on returning to Britain the poor animals had to spend six months in quarantine!

When Janet had completed her training at Bellmead she returned to Mr. Staton’s surgery in Wood Green, where she worked as an animal nurse. It was whilst on a surfing holiday in Cornwall that she met her future husband John (yes, they are a Janet and John couple), a car mechanic who also came from London. They married in 1986 and their first child Jamie was born in 1990. Jamie was a very premature baby, born with cerebral palsy, and they became set on the idea of moving to be close to Addenbrookes Hospital where Jamie could get the specialised care he needed. Realising that they would need a good deal of help and support as he grew up, Janet’s parents Gwen and Ron Lambert decided to join them.

Both couples sold their homes in Wood Green and started looking for somewhere to start a small business together just at a time when the kennels were up for sale. Ron was a builder and took on the task of upgrading the kennels and building new pens, Gwen organised the paperwork and Janet was hands-on with the animals. John continued to work at his trade although he is now semiretired and works part time in Royston.

Jamie was followed by Matthew and Rebecca, and all three children went to Meldreth Primary School and then to Melbourn Village College. The children still live at home and work locally – Matthew is a carer at Meldreth Manor School and Rebecca (Becky) is a personal trainer at Wilmotts, although she really wants to pursue a career in the Air Force. She has belonged to the Air Cadets since she was fourteen and is now a staff member at Bassingbourn. I did not meet her but she is apparently a tiny, 5’2” bundle of energy!

Years ago the team were joined by Tammy, a friend from Royston, who acts as Kennel Maid. They can accommodate 38 dogs and 22 cats, judiciously housed in different parts of the property. I learned that some owners arrive with the animal on a lead, hand it over and walk away happy in the knowledge that their beloved pet is going to be well cared for. Other owners, however, arrive laden with special bed, blanket, toys, feeding bowls and a multitude of instructions and fancy diets. Indeed, they have had to install a freezer as some dogs have their own special meals frozen into portions. There was a huge pile of stainless steel bowls in evidence and large bins of ’ordinary’ pet food as well as tubs of treats.

Janet said that 99% of the dogs settle down and accept the kennel life for a couple of weeks but that cats can be a bit more tricky. They are proud of the fact that they have a safe enclosure for the dogs to run around and play on grass and socialise with other boarders.

Some years ago the small dwelling on the plot next door to Greenlow came up for sale (does anyone remember Wilf, who lived there?) and it was bought by one of Janet’s sisters. They built a beautiful bungalow into the hill which is completely wheelchair friendly so that Jamie, their nephew, can negotiate all the rooms. I went onto the Greenlow website and there is a link to a fascinating pictorial record of the building of the bungalow – I recommend it.

Janet’s father sadly died in 2012, but Gwen continues to help in the office and she looks after the very large garden and vegetable plot. I suspect also that they all enjoy Mum’s cooking. Dad was a drummer in his spare time and his group was called The Elastic Band!

I asked if they ever have instances of pets being left at the kennels and then not being reclaimed and, sadly, for a number of reasons, it does happen. It seems to me that the collective family just incorporate the pets into the fold! Janet did say there was one instance when some Arab gentlemen booked their two dogs in for three months whilst they travelled abroad, but they never returned. Tammy is not immune to the big soulful eyes of an abandoned pet either: she adopted Elizabeth, the English Bulldog, and later took on a kitten left on the doorstep one day.

Janet and John really enjoy travelling, and she told me that, shortly before Jamie was born, they went on holiday and met two other couples, one from Nottingham and one from Wisbech. They formed an instant bond and have holidayed together ever since. At the moment they are looking forward to their first cruise – to the Caribbean. Janet and Tammy also had fun recently when they were treated to a day acting as Zoo Keepers at Banham Zoo; it was a tremendous experience but on the whole they both thought they preferred looking after domestic animals!

I should mention that Jamie is a comedian. I don’t just mean he is funny, he is a proper comedian, doing gigs at The Junction and at local pubs, and recently did a big charity fundraiser at the Black Horse. At the moment he is in London for a week doing a theatre course; maybe one day we shall see him on our screens!

Of course, Boarding Kennels are hard work and very demanding – the animals must always come first, but the rewards are great when families bring their treasured pets back again and again to be looked after whilst they are away. Greenlow Kennels is truly a family affair run by folks who really love animals. Mavis Howard