It will be puppy love all the way when the UK’s first dogs’ choir launches in Farnham on Valentine’s Day.

Singing With Dogs UK: The Dogs’ Choir is hoping to raise the woof when it holds its first rehearsal at midday on Saturday, February 14, at St Mark’s Church in Upper Hale.

The choir is not made up of dogs — although a few may join in — but is for dog owners and dog lovers, whether or not they currently have a dog.

The idea was developed by Jay Hack, who describes herself as a “scruffy pet mum”. She is an education manager, former music teacher and choir leader, as well as a pet rescuer, pet sitter and trained actor.

The concept began during lockdown when Jay taught singing online to someone who had recently lost her cat and found that singing helped her through the grieving process. Jay went on to start an online choir for people with pets and soon realised how many participants were experiencing loneliness, particularly in the post-pandemic period.

In 2024, she launched the idea in person in her home town of Cheltenham as Pets Choir UK, bringing people together through a shared love of animals.

“That was when I rescued a beautiful dog with a very high prey drive for cats,” said Jay. “I realised I couldn’t have dogs and cats in the same choir, so I decided to run separate ones.”

Jay moved to Farnham in 2025 to carry out ancestral research, as members of the Hack family have lived in the town since Tudor times. After settling in, she felt there was still a need for the choir.

“People are always stopping to talk when I’m out with my dog Barney,” she said. “Often they tell me they had a dog before and miss them.

“Dogs are great levellers. My aim is to get people singing, get them out of the house, and bring together people from different parts of the town. If the dogs sing too, that’s a bonus.”

Information is available from [email protected]