Dog bus owner 'overwhelmed' after vandals force vehicle off road

Billy’s Bus, a converted school bus which takes dogs on day-long adventures, was targeted by vandals last week while parked at Tong Park Industrial Estate on Otley Road in Baildon.

Owner Laura Mohan said vandals tried to hotwire the vehicle in an attempt to steal it, leaving her with a repair bill ‘probably over £1,000’ after ‘every single wire’ was cut.

She told the BBC: “Why would you want to do something like this? This bus creates real magic wherever it goes, so it comes as a shock when something like this happens.

“We’ve only had to cancel the service twice in 11 months - and that was because of extreme weather.

“We have customers who rely on us to pick up their dogs - many have reasons why they can’t walk their dogs themselves - so when we have to let everyone down at such short notice for something as senseless as this, it left us heartbroken.”

Mohan added she doesn’t know the full extent of the repair costs yet, but that they’ve had to order new parts for the vehicle and that it will ‘probably be over £1,000’.

She had to take the vehicle off the road for repairs, forcing her to cancel a number of bookings last week.

Billy’s Bus collects dogs from areas including Leeds, Skipton, Guiseley, Ilkley and Horsforth, treating pets to air conditioning and music.

The dog daycare service also takes part in community events at schools, nurseries and care homes.

Mohan’s business, which she started after struggling to find care for her own dog, a Cavapoo Billy, even achieved brief national fame when singer Harry Styles gave it a shout-out during his Wembley show.

She said she’s received ‘hundreds’ of supportive messages since the incident, adding: “Everyone wanted to see Billy’s Bus back on the road, raising smiles and joy as we roll through the county with our gorgeous Pawsengers.”

West Yorkshire Police confirmed they’d received reports of vehicle interference and that a crime has been filed.