Looking after your furry loved ones

A new dog-walking and pet visit service is starting out in the Borders after 16 years of looking after animals on the south coast in England.
Penny Wight, owner of Penelope Petstop.Penny Wight, owner of Penelope Petstop.
Penny Wight, owner of Penelope Petstop.

And, if we gave an award for the best business name, Penelope Petstop would win it.

Penny Wight moved to the Borders in August with her Hawick-born husband Garry to be closer to family.

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She is offering a mobile dog-walking service, home visits when you are out at work or on holiday, and horse care in Hawick and the surrounding area.

She said: “I can’t wait to get out and about in this beautiful countryside with people’s dogs ... it’s a lot more built-up down south.

“I have 20 years of experience with dogs, horses and other pets in all aspects of care, and I’m really looking forward to getting things going here.

“When I was down near Brighton, I was able to offer home boards for dogs, which was really popular as a lot of owners prefer that to their pets being in kennels.

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“As we’re living with family at the moment and looking for the right property, we can’t really offer that right now, but it’s something I hope we’ll be able to do once we get our own place.”

Penny says her business was quite badly hit by the coronavirus situation.

She said: “We were fully booked all summer, but as no-one was able to go on holiday due to the restrictions, it put paid to that.

“Hopefully things will pick up soon.”

Walks can be private or in groups of up to six, and can be arranged on a daily basis.

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All dogs must be up to date with vaccines, flea and worming treatments, and for group walks, dogs must be sociable, with no bitches in season or entire males.

Her prices are highly competitive, from £6 for a half-hour pop-in visit to £15 for an hour-long private walk.

On the business name, Penny said: “With my full name being Penelope, it was something I got teased about when I was at school, so I thought I’d use it to my advantage.”

Visit www.penelopepetstop.co.uk for the full range of services, or call Penny on 07810 356913.