The joy of dog walking
There are currently 71 million pets in the UK, including 500,000 hamsters, one million rabbits, almost 25 million fish – and, unsurprisingly, 8.5 million dogs. But then it’s no wonder; we are known as a nation of dog lovers. As well as being good company, man’s best friend can be beneficial for your health. A study carried out by Dr Deborah Wells, senior lecturer in psychology at Queen’s University Belfast, showed that ‘having a pet can improve psychological and physical wellbeing.
‘They provide companionship and can improve feelings of self-worth and self-esteem… you feel needed and they give you a sense of purpose – a reason to get up in the morning.’
Dogs can also help you connect with others. In fact, another study found that one in four dog owners have found love while walking their pet, including the adventurer and television presenter Ben Fogle who met his future wife, Marina, while walking his pooch, Inca. The research, carried out by Pets At Home, also revealed that a third of all dog owners have made new friends while out on a walk.
But what if you don’t have a dog of your own? And what do you do if you have a dog, but need someone to exercise or look after it for you?
Well, local shelters and charities always need volunteer dog walkers and, in some cases, even foster carers and dogsitters. This gives you the opportunity to not just have a dog in your life (even if it is only for a few hours) but to improve an animal’s life, too.
The Cinnamon Trust is a charity dedicated to walking animals with elderly owners who can no longer get out to exercise their pets, and also helps to find foster homes for dogs (and other animals) if required.
For Marnie Cude, operations manager at the trust, her work is so much more than just dog walking or fostering. Says Marnie, ‘A lot of people come to us thinking that they have to give up their dogs because they can’t walk them any more. The relief when we say, actually, you don’t have to give your dog up, is enormous. There are tears.
‘It’s such a privilege to be able to help people stay with their beloved companion.’
Others make walking and sitting dogs their fulltime job.
Adèle Barclay is one of the directors of Homesitters, which employs more than 900 sitters for cats and dogs around the UK. But it’s not a case of just filling in a form and you’re a dogsitter; the team carries out a number of checks and asks for references, to ensure that the best people are hired.
‘A sitter moves into the home of a client and will be resident there while the client is away so it’s a huge responsibility to take on,’ says Adèle.
The company finds out what a client’s requirements are, then matches them with a suitable sitter. They will then set up a preliminary meeting with all parties, to ensure that the sitter, client and dog all get along.
As Adele says, ‘We take a very full brief from the client about the pet, its routine, its personality, and where it sleeps. The whole idea of using a petsitter is that when a client goes away, we maintain the normal routine.’
Pet and homesitting for those in the UK and Europe.
0800-161 3242, www.animalangels.co.uk
BorrowMyDoggy
Subscriptions cost £8 per year for dog borrowers, or £35 for owners.
www.borrowmydoggy.com
Homesitters
Either hire a homesitter or petsitter or find out how to become one.
01296-630730, www.homesitters.co.uk
My Dog Buddy
Petsitters offer doggy day care, walking and overnight sitting.
020-3290 0205, www.mydogbuddy.co.uk
National Petsitters
Register for doggy duties.
0845-230 8544, www.dogsit.com
National Dog Walking Register
A free site with help and advice on finding the perfect dog walker:
www.ndwr.co.uk
Needs dog walkers, volunteers for their shops and foster homes for animals taken to the shelter.
0300-777 1897, www.bluecross.org.uk
Dogs Trust
Has rehoming centres across the UK and is often in need of people to help with dog walking.
020-7837 0006, www.dogstrust.org.uk
RSPCA
Thousands of animals are rehomed each year by the organisation and you can be a volunteer or give an animal its forever home.
0300-123 4999, www.rspca.org.uk/home
The Cinnamon Trust
Seeks to relieve the anxieties and problems faced by the elderly and their pets.
01736-757900, www.cinnamon.org.uk
‘They provide companionship and can improve feelings of self-worth and self-esteem… you feel needed and they give you a sense of purpose – a reason to get up in the morning.’
Dogs can also help you connect with others. In fact, another study found that one in four dog owners have found love while walking their pet, including the adventurer and television presenter Ben Fogle who met his future wife, Marina, while walking his pooch, Inca. The research, carried out by Pets At Home, also revealed that a third of all dog owners have made new friends while out on a walk.
But what if you don’t have a dog of your own? And what do you do if you have a dog, but need someone to exercise or look after it for you?
Well, local shelters and charities always need volunteer dog walkers and, in some cases, even foster carers and dogsitters. This gives you the opportunity to not just have a dog in your life (even if it is only for a few hours) but to improve an animal’s life, too.
The Cinnamon Trust is a charity dedicated to walking animals with elderly owners who can no longer get out to exercise their pets, and also helps to find foster homes for dogs (and other animals) if required.
For Marnie Cude, operations manager at the trust, her work is so much more than just dog walking or fostering. Says Marnie, ‘A lot of people come to us thinking that they have to give up their dogs because they can’t walk them any more. The relief when we say, actually, you don’t have to give your dog up, is enormous. There are tears.
‘It’s such a privilege to be able to help people stay with their beloved companion.’
Others make walking and sitting dogs their fulltime job.
Adèle Barclay is one of the directors of Homesitters, which employs more than 900 sitters for cats and dogs around the UK. But it’s not a case of just filling in a form and you’re a dogsitter; the team carries out a number of checks and asks for references, to ensure that the best people are hired.
‘A sitter moves into the home of a client and will be resident there while the client is away so it’s a huge responsibility to take on,’ says Adèle.
The company finds out what a client’s requirements are, then matches them with a suitable sitter. They will then set up a preliminary meeting with all parties, to ensure that the sitter, client and dog all get along.
As Adele says, ‘We take a very full brief from the client about the pet, its routine, its personality, and where it sleeps. The whole idea of using a petsitter is that when a client goes away, we maintain the normal routine.’
Petsitters and dog walkers
Animal AngelsPet and homesitting for those in the UK and Europe.
0800-161 3242, www.animalangels.co.uk
BorrowMyDoggy
Subscriptions cost £8 per year for dog borrowers, or £35 for owners.
www.borrowmydoggy.com
Homesitters
Either hire a homesitter or petsitter or find out how to become one.
01296-630730, www.homesitters.co.uk
My Dog Buddy
Petsitters offer doggy day care, walking and overnight sitting.
020-3290 0205, www.mydogbuddy.co.uk
National Petsitters
Register for doggy duties.
0845-230 8544, www.dogsit.com
National Dog Walking Register
A free site with help and advice on finding the perfect dog walker:
www.ndwr.co.uk
How to help: Animal Charities
Blue CrossNeeds dog walkers, volunteers for their shops and foster homes for animals taken to the shelter.
0300-777 1897, www.bluecross.org.uk
Dogs Trust
Has rehoming centres across the UK and is often in need of people to help with dog walking.
020-7837 0006, www.dogstrust.org.uk
RSPCA
Thousands of animals are rehomed each year by the organisation and you can be a volunteer or give an animal its forever home.
0300-123 4999, www.rspca.org.uk/home
The Cinnamon Trust
Seeks to relieve the anxieties and problems faced by the elderly and their pets.
01736-757900, www.cinnamon.org.uk