About Us

I have over 20 years experience in this field, this is due to working for The Plymouth Dogs and Cats Home, and this is where I obtained a Certificate in Small Animal Care. I worked at the home for many years. The job included making sure the correct amount of food was given to the correct animal. I also had to give the animals their medication. Once I had been there for a while and I was then able to help with the vet round every week. We achieved this by observing the animals over the week and noting down on their history cards any information that the vet may need, this could be if the animal was not eating very well or if they had an upset tummy.

I also had the chance to work in their quarantine area with the cats and the dogs. This was for the very sick animals and you had to wear protected aprons and wash your boots every time you went out or in to that department.

This was sometimes the hardest place as this job meant you had to try as much as you could to get the animals back on their feet and get them better. They depended on you doing your job, treating them like babies so it would give them the courage to keep going and finding a better home for themselves once they were better. It was very rewarding when they recovered and found a new loving home.

I then went to work for Elm Cottage Boarding Kennels. This was very different, this job was looking after people's pets when they went away or became ill. This was more about cleaning and feeding the dogs and cats, we use to walk the dogs around the local park and play with the cats. After a couple of years or so, I unfortunately became ill and had to leave my job.

The Making of Home Alone

HOME ALONE started officially on 22nd May 2001. However we had been up and running since May 2000. Please let me explain.

I was unemployed when I had a choice to go back to work and becoming self-employed, the only problem was I did not know where to start. I had to think about what I would like to do for a living. That was not difficult; I have always wanted to work with animals.



Pet Shop v Dog & Cat Minding

That was a short answer, the Dog walking and Cat Minding Won.


I had to take a small business course and put together a business plan, and carry out weeks of research. I designed a questionnaire; went to my local parks and asked potential clients to complete.This gave me the information to see how much business was out there. We had over a thousand business cards and brochures designed; I also bought a vehicle with my business logo on. However, I could not even drive, it was to get publicity and to hold a lasting visual effect to passing trade, and it was a very big gamble.

When I opened Home Alone for a year to see if it was able to sustain itself, there was only one other Dog Minder, that had just gone up in business.

HOME ALONE is coming up to its 7th year in business on 22nd May 2007 and with over 20 year's experience and a superb client base we are learning so much more than we ever thought.

For the last 6 years in May or June time, the owners of the dogs come out to enjoy a meal. I book a restaurant for a sit down meal so that the other clients can catch up with the other owners of the dogs I walk. The diaries that I leave at the owners home for both client and Home Alone to write in helps the owners to know what their dogs have been doing and where we have been, I also give the names of the dogs that they have been out with that day/week.

Its also amazing how many of my customers actually meet each other while out walking and can't understand why their dogs are playing with a dog they have just met, but once the owners have talked they find out that Home Alone walk both of their dogs.