Entrepreneur who has defied odds to build pet care service

TAKEN into care at the age of eight, where he was a victim to abuse and subjected to bullying by other children for being gay, Richie Womersley did not have an easy start to life.

But a bright idea and plenty of perseverance have seen him build a successful business specialising in dog walking and pet care with five franchises and almost 1,000 customers.

The Dog Walker, which was set up in 2006, currently operates across Wetherby, North Leeds, Harrogate, Ilkley, Selby and York. A sixth franchise is in the process of being set up.

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Mr Womersley said: “I came out [of the care system] at 16 with no prospects, no family, starting my life from scratch, finding jobs here, there and everywhere really.”

He has worked previously as a pot washer, stacking shelves at the supermarket and cleaning the floors of a hospital. But it was a job at a dog kennel in Yorkshire that sparked his idea for a business venture.

He explained: “I saw how they were being treated in the kennels, with 80 cats and 60 dogs, and sometimes it would just be one person looking after them and that can be quite traumatic, because all you’re doing is just cleaning them out and putting them back in, they are not getting any exercise, they’re not getting a lot of attention.

“I thought, there has to be a way of giving the animals the care and attention they need.”

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So, after saving up £500 to buy a second-hand car, Mr Womersley set up The Dog Walker, which today looks after dogs, cats, chickens and small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

As well as dog walking services, The Dog Walker also offers pet house-sitting and home boarding for dogs. The firm also provides a pet taxi service, which can be used to and from vet appointments or even to and from weddings so a couple’s beloved pet can feature in the photos.

Mr Womersley said the Wetherby district turns over around £75,000 per year, with pre-tax profits of £43,000. He said he has created two jobs in the district he covers, including a full-time dog walker position and a weekend assistant role. He also has three host families, who look after dogs if the team are at capacity.

Mr Womersley said: “Because we’ve got a very good business model we want to create as many jobs as possible. We want to franchise out nationally.”

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The opportunity to run a franchise of The Dog Walker might be ideal for someone who has been made redundant as they might be able to use a redundancy package to invest in the franchise, suggested Mr Womersley.

But he added: “It could be anybody though really. It could be someone who is not interested in their current job.”

Mr Womersley said that the pet care industry is growing fast. “Pets are an important part of family life and people want to be sure they have the quality and care they deserve.”

He added: “We’ve had enquiries for our services as far as Kent and Edinburgh. So that’s where it gets a bit exciting really.”

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He said that investing money in improving brand awareness has been vital to the success of the business.

“You need to take the risk and actually spend some money in advertising to get your brand across, whether it’s sponsorship, advertising or applying for awards. You can’t rely heavily on word-of-mouth.”

Mr Womersley said he is not ashamed of the troubles he experienced early on in life.

He explained: “It’s made me who I am today. I’m quite an outgoing kind of guy and I have my heart on my sleeve and I’ve always been that way.

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“I’ve learnt that you should not let other people put you down for who you are and it shouldn’t affect who you are in the future or what job you have.

“You should be able to create your own success, regardless of where you come from or who you are.”