How do bookings work?

Every new walk starts with a free Meet & Greet. I'll meet you and your pet before confirming any booking — we'll go through care details, emergency contacts, and the contract. After that, you can book individual walks or set up a regular schedule. No commitment until you're happy.

What areas do you cover?

Okehampton is my base, and I cover Sticklepath, South Zeal, Belstone, and Sampford Courtenay. Favourite walking spots include Abbeyford Woods, Melon, Fatherford Lane, the golf-club fields, and river-play spots. Out of catchment? Just message — happy to chat about travel.

What's included in a walk?

Every walk includes games, enrichment, and river play where appropriate. Group walks are up to 6 dogs in varied locations or in a secure field at no extra cost. Solo walks for nervous, anxious, or reactive dogs get my full attention — limited slots.

Are you fully insured?

Yes — fully insured, DBS checked, and Canine First Aid trained. Happy to send you copies of insurance and certifications on request.

Do you walk in groups or solo?

Both. Group walks involve up to 6 dogs and are great for socialisation. Solo walks are reserved for nervous, anxious, or reactive dogs — I give them my full attention, plenty of space, and patience. Spaces for solo walks are very limited and lunch-time slots are usually not available.

Payment is either cash at the end of the week, or preferably via BACS — I send an invoice at the end of the month for the month we're on, due on the 30th.

What if I have a key safe or lockbox?

Just let me know if you're providing a key, have a lockbox, or anything different — I'll let myself in and lock back up when I leave. Your contract covers all key-handling details.

What's your cancellation policy?

[TBC — Sophie will confirm at client review.] In general, I try to be flexible — if you let me know with reasonable notice I can usually accommodate changes.

From the diary · 10 August 2026

Paws Beyond Borders — Volunteering in Australia 🇦🇺

A month at Bunbury Wildlife Park in Western Australia, 2016 — kangaroos, wallabies, emus and a whole aviary of birds, plus whale watching, wild dolphins and a giant stingray who decided to sit on my lap.

By Sophie · 3 min read

Paws Beyond Borders — Volunteering in Australia 🇦🇺

Bunbury, Western Australia — 2016

After my experiences volunteering with animals in China and Brazil, I wanted to do another wildlife volunteering trip, and Australia seemed like the perfect choice. I found Bunbury Wildlife Park and it looked like such a great wildlife park in a beautiful location, so I booked a month there.

The park's volunteers help support the keepers with the everyday care of the animals, including enclosure maintenance, food preparation and feeding.

I ended up working with pretty much everything at the park — kangaroos and wallabies, emus, loads of different birds and all sorts of other Australian wildlife. Our days involved all the usual jobs you'd expect: cleaning enclosures, preparing food and feeding the animals. It was really hands-on, particularly with the kangaroos and birds, which I absolutely loved.

I stayed in a hostel in Bunbury, and at weekends we had time to explore more of Western Australia. And we definitely made the most of it!

We went whale watching, swam with wild dolphins and went to see wild giant stingrays on the beach.

There was also plenty of exploring and seeing the incredible scenery and wildlife that Australia has to offer.

Looking back, Australia was one of the best trips of my life. I loved the volunteering, I loved how hands-on it was, and getting to experience so much incredible wildlife outside of the park made the whole month even more special.