Home Away from Home
Your pooch might not want to leave... 😉
"Thank you for treating our pup like your own!"
Candice Schneider - Account Manager, Project Room
Meet the Founders
Sonseirai Van Heerden
Owner and Founder
Sonseirai (sohns-uh-ray) is an avid dog lover with years of experience with dogs. She has a true behavioural gift with dogs and is able to assess pack dynamics within minutes of introduction. Sonseirai is passionate about educated dog care and rescue.
She has and continues to train and invest into every DDH team member and the public and she currently foster dogs and is active in the dog psychology and rescue field.
Sonseirai has been named one of the top 5 female entrepreneurs in KZN for 2016.
Candice Swanson
Co-Founder
Candice is the mother-heart of the Durban Dog Hotel. You will often see her walking around with a more nervous pooch guest under her arm.
Candice is a highly successful business woman and proven entrepreneur. She has started several successful businesses overseas which still thrive today.
She has a university level qualification and proficiency in a foreign language and is a dog lover with a heart that always has room for one more. She has instilled a culture of love, patience and how to meet pooch needs in a healthy into the DDH team.
Meet the Team
Belinda
Office Manager
Nadine
Operations Manager
Creed
Alpha (In Training)
Sonserai and her team are true miracle workers. I sent my fur babies to the durban dog hotel for 3 weeks of behavioral therapy as two babies are from the same litter and the male dog was super dominant and possessive of me and his territory. Sonserai worked with them and now they can sit together in the car, sit on the same sofa and share my attention without any problem.
They both had confidence and anxiety issues and Sonserai helped them with this. It’s truly amazing to see their transformation and I am so grateful for the help as now they are both happier dogs.
I wholeheartedly recommend this amazing team and the hotel for your beloved babies as they will be loved and spoiled and are most definitely in excellent hands.
The doggies are taken excellent care of and are excercised and stimulated throughout the day and the best part is that the hotel staff send you daily whatsapp posts so you don’t miss your babies too much.
Sonserai brought the doggies home after their therapy to reintegrate them and her rapport with animals is phenomenal. They fell in love with her in three weeks whereas before this they disliked all people except family.
I will be eternally grateful as my babies are happy and less aggressive towards each other.
Narisha Maharaj5/15/2019
They genuinely care about animals
Shannon de Goede11/19/2018
It is a perfect home away from home experience our two Pekingese have loved from their first stay! The socializing and stimulation which the DDH provides has worked wonders with correcting their behavior and easing our minds when we go away.
Sons, Candice and their team genuinely love what they do and all the dogs they have to stay! We highly recommend their hotel to anyone who is looking for this one of a kind service and accommodation xx
7/20/2017
Our 13 year old lab, Jasmine had just lost her brother and had never been alone. We were so excited when we found the Durban Dog Hotel, it meant that Jasmine would have loads of company while we were away. Candice, Sonseirai and their team were absolutely phenominal and took such great care of our furbaby. My kids especially loved getting the daily updates and pics to see what Jas was up to. The only downside is that we cant go on holiday to the DDH as well 🤣. I cannot sing the Durban Dog Hotels praises enough - thank you for looking after Jas so well.
1/10/2018
My precious yorkie Benjy loves his home away from home and the tlc he receives from both Sonserei n Candice and their amazing team. When we travel we know benjy is in the best care n makes our holidays so much more enjoyable. Thank you for all the love n special attention to benjys needs. DDH you rock.
1/16/2017
