The animal lovers coming top of their pet subjects
PET lovers can easily turn their passion into a business. Ian Bell, 45, quit his job as a teacher and now offers dog walking, cat care, pet feeding, a pet taxi and veterinary ambulance services.
Ian came across the Animals At Home (AAH) franchise while he was looking for someone to look after his two chocolate labradors Poppy and Bruno.
‘That’s when I found Animals At Home,’ says Ian of Crystal Palace, South London.
‘I really enjoy the flexibility of being my own boss and meeting people who love their animals as much as I do. I help look after cats, dogs, chickens, chinchillas, rats and lizards.’
He has invested in an electric vehicle to deliver his services.
‘It is cheaper to run than the diesel van I had, and there is no congestion charge when I take pets to veterinary hospitals in central London,’ says Ian.
‘Customers like it, so it’s good for marketing.’ AAH is also going green for its latest franchise.
AAH City Care franchisees will deliver pet care services to central locations using eco- friendly electric bikes, which they will also use to provide LifeCycle, a mobile pet first aid service. The franchise co-founder Denis Chirgwin says: ‘The first five franchises in any uK city will get the Eco-Cycle, which is worth £ 2,500, included completely free in the franchise investment of £12,500.’
Sallyann Gray, 51, from Darlington, started a franchise with Petpals 11 years ago.
‘I provide dog walking, pet care and boarding services,’ she says. ‘It combines my love of animals with the caring and people skills I learned as a nursery nurse.’
Her husband David, a former police officer, soon joined her, and the couple have more than 1,000 regular customers and employ a team of 12 dog walkers and pet carers to walk 200 dogs weekly.
‘ It’s not all about cuddling animals,’ says Sallyann. ‘Making a success of a pet care business means being available 24/7 and requires business skills, but caring for pets is very rewarding.’
The Petpals franchise costs £12,500. AnimALs At Home: 03701 126 613. Petpals: 01264 326 362.