Premium Pet Pampering Puts Paw Pals on Fast-Track to Success

June 04, 2008 - Press Dispensary - Pet owners looking for the right people to care for their furry, feathered or finned best friends, while they’re at work or on holiday, can face a bewildering choice of options. But in the dog-eat-dog world of pet sitting, one company is seeing its business thrive thanks to the superior creature comforts it offers pets and their owners. Premier pet-sitter Paw Pals (http://www.paw-pals.co.uk) has grown from a single office in Swindon to a nationwide network of nine branches in just nine months, by franchising a ‘best-of-breed’ approach to pet care.

“We’ve created a bespoke service so our sitters slot into your pet's routine rather than the other way round,” explains Paw Pals MD Victoria Reinthal. “Many animal lovers are fed up with seeing their dog shut in the back of a van and pack walked with several others, just so the pet sitter can make more per hour. Paw Pals gives its time on a one-to-one basis, whether we’re walking your pedigree chum, cooking for your cat or caring for a cheeky chipmunk!”

Owners often hate putting their pets into a cattery or kennels when they go on holiday or into hospital, not realizing that an alternative is available. Paw Pals can take full care of a pet in the comfort of its own home – feeding, grooming, cleaning and even staying overnight if a new pup doesn’t like being left alone or an elderly moggy needs close attention due to illness. Paw Pals looks after all animals, so customers don’t need to find temporary homes for small pets, such as fish, rabbits and birds.

And sitters don’t only pamper pets, they can also water plants, turn on lights and collect the mail, so the owner can relax, knowing their home and their four-legged friends are safe and cared for.

Victoria adds: “Our individual approach means that dogs are fed at their usual time, walked to their usual spot and sleep in their own bed, and we cater for unusual requests and ‘pet hates’ that other companies would dismiss as ‘barking mad’. One customer wants his dog to wear a dressing gown after returning from his walk, another insists her dog is fed warmed chicken with bulgur wheat and many of our sitters spend the night sharing a bed with a lonely pet – whatever it takes to make sure that Rex or Rover feels like top dog!”

Following local success, Paw Pals began franchising in September 2007. All franchisees are CRB/police-checked, have full public liability insurance, are members of Pet Sitters International, have home boarding licences from their local authorities, and study a four month accredited pet sitting qualification.

With nine branches under her belt, and despite being six months pregnant, Victoria is looking for more people to open a Paw Pals franchise, and says of the company’s rapid growth: “We are incredibly selective – only genuine pet lovers can join the Paw Pals team. And our rigorous recruitment process and insistence on police checks and training mean that, in an unregulated industry, you are guaranteed professional care for your home and your pets.”

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Paw Pals was established in Swindon in January 2006 by mother and daughter Sally and Victoria Reinthal, and is run by a team of four.

Paw Pals began franchising in September 2007 and now has branches in Swindon, Buckingham, Nottingham, Pontefract, Romford, Sheffield, Spalding and Stockton on Tees, with its head office in Swindon.

Paw Pals is endorsed by OrganiPets, enabling franchisees to sell its organic cat and dog food, currently available in Waitrose.

For further information, please contact:
Victoria Reinthal, MD, Paw Pals (UK) Ltd
Tel: 01793 770759
Email:
Site: www.paw-pals.co.uk