Pet Sitting, Pet Boarding and Dog Walking Services
Petpals - providing you the real alternative to dog boarding kennels and catteries

British Franchise Association Full Member - Petpals UK Limited

Petpals Cramlington Donates to Benton Dog and Cat Shelter

Friday, May 28th, 2010 | Posted by Andrew Read at 7:06 pm

Animal lover launches pet-sitting /dog walking service

Petpals Cramlington and Benton Dog and Cat Shelter Picture

Julia Holland an animal lover has launched her pet-sitting business by making donations to local animal welfare charities. Genna Reece who is the development Manager accepted the cheque on behalf of the Benton Dog and Cat shelter.

Julia has started Petpals from her home and will take in any kind of animal while its owner is away. Her services also include cat sitting and dog walking,
To mark its launch, Ms Holland has made donations of £100 to the Dog and cat shelter, in Benton. She hopes to hold fundraising events for this charity in
the future.

She said, “I have rescue dogs of my own and when the opportunity came along to start Petpals I decided to go for it. It’s a total change of career for me, but I’m looking forward to it.

While the credit crunch has had an impact on many other service sectors, Petpals’ franchisees are enjoying healthy turnovers as pet-owners clamor for a trustworthy, reliable service for their animals.

Petpals is seeing business increasing despite the current state of the economy. Managing Director Kevin Thackrah said, “In spite of the recession our average revenues are still increasing year-on-year, with people still happy to spend money on their pets even though they may have cut costs elsewhere. For pet-owners, reliable pet care is as essential as child care.”

Our services at Petpals include :

DOG WALKING

Making use of the many areas found locally, dog walking aims to give your dog a stimulating and enjoyable walk in a safe environment. These can be individual visits for your dog(s) and/or multi walks with up to four dogs at a time, transported in our purpose fitted vehicles.

CAT SITTING AND CAT VISITS

Petpals have proven to be very popular with clients that want to leave their cats at home, in their own environment, with familiar smells and comforts- particularly with elderly cats and cats that need medication. Our cat sitting service allows clients to go away on holiday or to work, safe in the knowledge that Petpals are visiting their cats to feed, clean litter trays if required, play, along with providing lots of TLC.

Petpals Cramlington and Benton Dog and Cat Shelter Picture

PET SITTING AND HOME SITTING

Our home based pet sitting service is a real alternative to kennels; your pet can remain in their own familiar surroundings, with their own routines and food while you are away.

Call Julia Holland on 07544248760

cramlington@petpals.com

www.petpals.com

If you are thinking about your holidays – don’t forget to book any pet care requirements at the same time. If you want us to look after your dogs with our Home

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Dog Wishes – I Wish I Could Be A Human

Friday, February 19th, 2010 | Posted by Tracey at 11:29 am

Dear Jasper,

I often watch my humans and wish I could be like them too. They seem to have such a fun life.

Wishful Westie Wendy x

Dear Wishful Wendy,
Being a human is not all it’s cracked up to be you know. They don’t have the fun we have. Last week my Dad was watching a ‘documentary’ on the TV where 22 men were running about a big field with only one ball to play with between them. But worse than that, there were thousands of other humans just sat watching at the sides and all around and they didn’t even get to touch the ball. Now if that had been us dog’s we would have all brought a ball each to play with or at least one between two! My dad was shouting at the TV and I tried to get him to let me in the garden and I would have shared my ball with him but he was too busy to notice.
And also humans have so many more rules than us. It’s great to be a dog because:

  • We can scratch ourselves in public, no matter where it itches,
  • We can roll on our backs, showing our bare tummies and our nether regions without being considered rude.
  • We never have to pay for dinner or provide presents for people out of our ‘own’ money. But we still get all the cuddles just because the card say’s it’s from the dog.
  • We can spend hours just sniffing stuff and still not get bored.
  • We are always excited to see the same old people. They only have to leave the room for 5 minutes and come back again and we greet them ecstatically.
  • We can pass wind in public and we don’t blush.
  • If we gain weight it’s someone else’s fault.
  • We don’t need a varied home entertainment system or play station, an old bone or a shoe can keep us occupied for hours.

And finally it’s great to be a dog because we never have to brush our own hair.

Love from Jasper x

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Jumping Dogs – Pet Behaviour Advice

Friday, February 19th, 2010 | Posted by Tracey at 11:27 am

One of the biggest criticisms I hear particularly from non-dog owners is how they hate strange dogs running up to them when they are out. Especially when they are dressed in good clothes as that is the time you can guarantee the biggest, dirtiest dog will jump up at them, with it’s owner shouting in the back ground “He’s just being friendly”.

Friendly, maybe, but no matter how friendly, that dog is definitely bad mannered and poorly trained.

Now here is where I defend the owner, I am the owner of a mostly very well behaved retriever or at least I was until many good meaning people rewarded his bad behaviour or actively encouraged his bad behaviour.

One of these being ‘jumping up’.

This was very quickly taught by various people allowing him to jump up at them and then cuddling and fussing him. Jasper now will often try his luck at someone because as a dog he is a chancer. Maybe this time it will get him the reward he wants, maybe that biscuit or even just a big fuss. No matter that 8 out of 10 times it just gets him nowhere, he still tries his luck!

Jasper does not jump up at us and members of our family and he now has to re-learn that he cannot jump up at anyone else either.

So what can we do as dog owners and members of the public?

Firstly, keep your dog under control and if you can’t when there are people are around then you should put your dog back on the lead. Keeping the dog focused on you during the walk is the best distraction, make yourself fun to be with. Carry something your dog enjoys maybe a ball, or even just a squeaky toy that will grab your dog’s attention. And when he does come back make it fun, with a game, a fuss or a treat. Try to vary it rather than just a treat every time. The dog may well weigh up the options and go , “well I’d rather run over to that person they may have something far more for me!”

And sadly sometimes the well-meaning member of the public does! A lovely big fuss or a treat , lots of kind words, all making the running off a rewarding experience.

It can be difficult for us as walkers when we have new or young dogs out for the first few times. Until that dog learns which ‘pack leader’ it is out with, he may wander off to join other groups. Our regular dogs will not go off after another person or dog, if we pass another dog they may say hello and then as we walk on our dogs walk on. We do not want to get into a game of chase after the new dog and we rely on that dog seeing that we are more fun to be with than the stranger so the last thing we want is for other dog owners or members of the public to make a massive fuss, particularly of the puppies when they approach them. By all means if we have approached, ask the dog to sit and ONLY when in the sit position give any type of attention. If the dog starts demanding, the attention must stop. And never offer a dog that’s not yours treats, firstly it makes it nigh on impossible to get the dog to come away from the treat supplier but you are also in danger of being’ mugged’ for treats next time the dog see’s you out.

The dog really needs to listen to our terms, as a well mannered dog will benefit from far more fussing than an unruly one.

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