The dogs come first in this family.

A couple who have eleven Irish wolfhounds, living in a three bed house, spend more than £15,000 a year on dog food.

Claire Moorhouse, 47, and Jason Mather, 50, have pets aged between six months and eight years old.

The dogs weigh between 60 and 88 kilograms with the tallest being 37 inches tall (93cm) at the shoulder.

Clair and Jason, of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, spend an average of £300 a week on food for the dogs – bringing the yearly total to £15,600.

On top of this, another £15,000 is spent on cleaning, blankets, toys and treats.

And their dogs are big boys – the couple’s largest wolfhound Wilson is heavier than an average male adult, which is 85.1kg.

The couple got their first wolfhound Cilla in 2011 and immediately fell in love.

Two years after getting Cilla, they decided to start breeding and their first litter arrived in 2013.

They love wolfhounds ‘more than they like people’.

Claire said: ‘We felt a connection to this breed. They perfectly suit our lifestyle, active when required and calm when in our home.

‘They are loyal. There is a mutual respect needed when owning Irish Wolfhounds.

‘They are independent thinkers and we love living with them and sharing our life with them.’

To cater for all the dogs, the couple needed to sell their home and find a bigger one.

Jason, a maintenance engineer, said: ‘Everything gets bigger. Your house gets bigger. Your food bill gets bigger. Your car gets bigger.’

Their new home includes three acres of land to walk the dogs on – and it cost double the price.

As well as money, all of their time is invested in the dogs too.

Claire said: ‘It’s busy but it’s a lifestyle. It’s not just having a dog.

‘There’s heartache. It’s hard to bear losing them. You can’t go out on New Year’s Eve. You can’t take any holidays.

‘You need to plan in advance every time you leave the house.’

Despite this, they have no regrets and love being the proud owners of so many dogs.

Jason said: ‘When I was a kid my dad worked in a manor house that had these wolfhounds and I just fell in love.

‘They seemed like these giant friendly fluffy magical creatures.’

Claire added: ‘You’re unlikely to get burgled and a big positive is that you get to live with a pack.

‘You get these incredible insights into how they think. We’re not trainers and we’re not groomers but we have hands-on skills.

‘We’re also part of a community now. We’ve made so many friends, we never sit down, but you’ll never hear us say we’re bored.’

Source:
courtesy of METRO

by Tanyel Mustafa

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