Michelle Woodburn @ Purrs & Paws Area: Hampshire/Surrey, South East Contact Details | Interview | Recommendations Interview with... Michelle Woodburn @ Purrs & Paws
What services do you offer?	We offer dog walking, dog boarding, cats and small pets sitting. As an independent service provider we can be very flexible and always ensure that your pet is our priority. We are members of NARP so are registered and fully insured.
If you do pet sitting in your house, is your garden secure?	We have a number of "doggie hosts" who look after our clients' dogs and one of the key criteria for our hosts to meet is appropriate accommodation for dogs - both inside and outside the house. They must also genuinely love dogs!
If you do dog walking or dog sitting, how long are your walks with the dogs normally?	We are flexible depending upon the client's needs; generally most clients want 40 minutes to an hour.
How many animals do you take into your house?	Typically our hosts will take one or two dogs into their home at a time. We will never walk more than two dogs at one time. We believe that walking too many dogs at a time does not give each dog the attention and exercise they need. It can also become a safety issue. However, our policy doesn't mean that we won't walk one owners' dogs together if required. It does mean that we will not walk more than two owners' dogs for the sake of profit.
Do you offer any activities for the pets in your care? For example Kong toys, search exercises, etc	This will depend on what the client requests. We are able to practise commands and basic training if the client requires it.
How many pets do you have yourself and what are they?	I currently have one ginger cat called Sid who is 9, and am soon to get a Beardie Collie puppy which we can't wait for! I have never been without some sort of pet: I grew up with Labradors and German Shepherds, rabbits, hamsters, cats and a donkey. We also had a re-homed Beardie Collie which is why I am now in love with the breed!
What are your hobbies?	Cycling, walking (which is just as well with this job!) and have recently started becoming interested in gardening.
Is there anything that you would always recommend others to try?	Home boarding and cat sitting instead of kennels and catteries. It may be slightly more expensive, but in my experience both the owner and the pet are much happier.
Do you have dreams for the future?	Having worked in Human Resources for many years, changing career to look after pets has been my dream!! For the future, I would love to offer training and grooming services in addition to dog walking/boarding and cat/small pets sitting. I intend to start training classes next year to make the dream come true. I would also love to win the lottery so I could give lots of money to re-homing centres...?

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Michelle Woodburn @ Purrs & Paws

28 April 2008

Michelle provided an excellent service in looking after my cat, guinea pigs and fish whilst we were away. It was reassuring for us to know that they could remain in the home and be looked after. Julia Anthoney

6 January 2008

I have used Purrs and Paws twice now, and with their very professional and caring approach to looking after my cats whilst I'm away, I have found that I can relax and enjoy my holidays a lot more. I would highly recommend their services to everyone! Jon Tricker

18 October 2007

If you have a big soppy heart and can not bare to put your babies into kennels while you are away and would spend your hols worrying about what your pet is up to or if they are feeling abandoned then please read on!! We certainly recommend Michelle Woodburn for finding a fantastic sitter for our two rescue dogs Maggie and Oni at such short notice while we went away on holiday. We were extremely aprehensive to begin with as they are hard work, the older one being very nervous of people and other dogs, but we were soon very much reassured when we met Lucy who looked after both for us and gave them an extremely good holiday of their own. They were very happy and healthy when we collected them and Lucy really made them feel loved and cared for. We will not hesitate to contact Michelle in the near future as we completely trust that there will be no more worries of our dogs missing us and getting stressed while we are away. Many many thanks Michelle and of course to Lucy (you rock!!) Neil and Michelle

23 July 2007

We cannot recommend highly enough the service that Michelle provides. At short notice Michelle found someone to look after our very lively springer puppy whilst we went on holiday and we cannot of left her in better hands. Lucy who looked after her was fantastic and took all of her 'naughtiness' in her stride and our puppy had a fantastic holiday herself. Let me extend a huge thank you to Michelle and Lucy and see you again soon! Donna

23 June 2007

We have now used Michelle to look after our two cats on three occassions and have been very pleased with the service. We can go away for a couple of days and know that Jasmine & Jasper are in good hands. They are much happier to stay at home with a friendly face coming to visit them, rather than be dispatched to a cattery, which would be too unsettling. In addition our plants were looked after, and were looking very healthy on our return. I would thoroughly recommend this service to anyone, and will be booking Michelle again soon for our next trip away. Julie Codling

11 June 2007

I wanted to send a quick email re Michelle Woodburn's Pets and Purrs service. We used this service for the first time at Easter for our dog Barney. Barney is a rescue dog and has several behaviour issues, all of which I discussed on the phone with Michelle, and via her very useful booking information form. She then 'matched' Barney with a wonderful local couple and her selection couldn't have been better. Barney loved it at his holiday home so much, I was worried that he might not want to come home to us! I have used pet sitting services before but have never found one that is run so professionally and with such kindness before. Emma Wells

7 June 2007

Hi Michelle, we are pleased to be back and especially pleased that Luca was so well looked after, I am extremely grateful. Luca came home looking very well and healthy. It is such a relief to have found somewhere Luca can go in the future. So many, many, many thanks Michelle. Please pass on my thanks to Carolyn and Mark, I really am very grateful to both yourself and them. Best wishes, Phillippa

16 November 2006

I was overjoyed to find a service that would care for my cat and my two rabbits in their own home. When I met Michelle I realised what good hands my pets would be in. Then to find that not only would my animals be lovingly cared for my plants would have a chance for survival too at no extra cost was an added bonus. On my return I found a full report of my animals behaviour (including the skittishness of my bunnies) and I found them all very happy. I can not thank Michelle enough and now that I have discovered this service I will definitely be using it again. I have no hesitation in recommending this service to anyone. Jane Sargeant

29 October 2006

Harry our 9 month labrador stayed with Peter and Pat in Farnham. Zoe my partner met them both and found them to be very friendly, helpful and gave a full account of Harry's activities when he was picked up. Judging by Harry's reluctance to leave their garden I can only assume that Harry felt very at home. Michelle was incredibly helpful, especially as we gave such short notice. The service was excellent and Michelle was in constant contact with Zoe about Harry and where he could stay. This is the first time that we have ever entrusted the care of Harry to other people and I have to say that when the need arises again we will be straight on the phone to Michelle....but with more notice. Many thanks and regards, Jason, Zoe & Harry

7 September 2006

Thank you for finding the familly who looked after Charlie for us whilst we were on holiday. I think the diary of events for Charlie's holiday is a great idea - it made us laugh so much and was fantastic to see what Charlie had been doing whilst we were away. It was good to see the naughty things he got up to, too - I was so sorry that he ate the chocolate biscuits but then, he is a dog after all! Johanna Fletcher

29 August 2006

Michelle recently arranged for my lively 9 month old Labrador to stay with a couple while we were away on holiday. I can't praise Claudia and Mark enough! They were both fantastic and you could see that they genuinely enjoyed having him to stay (even if he was boisterous sometimes!). Claudia was very conscientious with regard to his exercise regime and read through his routine in detail, asking questions to clarify any queries she had. For example she asked if I left the light or radio on when we went out. I felt that they were very honest and open with their plans for Nelson, For example they asked if they could take him to Newbury one afternoon to visit her parents and I understand they did a practise run in the car first to see if he got on OK in their car. They were also going out on Saturday afternoon and evening and asked it it would be OK if his parents came in to feed and walk him during the evening. Again I understand that they introduced Nelson to his parents before hand so he wasn't alarmed when someone strange walked in. Finally they also e-mailed me some photos and a little diary afterwards which I though was a nice touch. Rachel Walker

15 August 2006

Michelle and her team are brilliant. At short notice she managed to find a suitable holiday home for our rescue dog Paddy. We were extremely anxious about leaving our baby while we were away but we need not have worried. He had a blast!! Laura Craston

7 August 2006

We have been delighted with the care that Michelle has taken with our beloved Springer Spaniel Jessie. Being a rescue dog she is not always keen on strangers and usually hates leaving Mum and Dad. However, when Michelle arrives at lunchtime to take Jessie for her walk from our shop in Haslemere, Surrey she is clearly delighted to see her and Jess knows that Michelle will look after her. We are so pleased to have found someone who genuinely loves Jess and is very responsible and reliable. Thanks Michelle! Jude Shepherd

23 June 2006

Thanks for a great job Michelle. It was great to return from our holiday to find two very happy and contented cats. Your obvious affection for animals shows and Monty and Theo were much happier staying in their own home with familiar surroundings. It's so important to find someone we can trust both with our pets and our home. Clare Phillips

30 May 2006

I can highly recommend Michelle from Purrs & Paws. I was a bit apprehensive at first as I have a very lively Beardie Collie and have not used a dog walker before but Michelle is reliable, caring and very experienced at dog handling. I feel very confident with Michelle and will definitely book my dog for Purrs and Paws’s home boarding when I go on holiday. Thank you for a wonderful service! Paul O’Hara

30 May 2006

highly recommend dog walking with Purrs and Paws. Michelle has been really good particularly as we have very demanding dogs! We now have much happier dogs when we come home in the evenings. Thanks for the good work! Nick Wilson

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