Teenage Spennymoor twins Keeley and Sophie Walker are living up to their surname after starting Canine Walkers, a local animal care business, writes volunteer community reporter, Rhys Toomey.

The business offers pet care services that include dog walking and caring for cats, dogs, amphibians, reptiles, and other small animals.

The idea to create the business stemmed from the twins’ love of animals. “We have always loved animals, especially dogs,” they said.

“We wanted to turn that passion into something positive, so we wanted to build on that and get experience by running a new business.”

The business was founded this June with the goal of, “creating a service where owners can feel comfort that their animals are being cared for properly while they’re busy and away,” said Sophie.

Although new, the Walkers have gained some valuable experiences that will carry with them throughout their business endeavours. “It has been challenging, especially balancing a schedule, but it’s also been very rewarding,” they said.

“We have been learning along the way about communicating with our customers, organising bookings, promoting the business and making sure we provide a reliable service.”

The young entrepreneurs are Level 2 qualified in Animal Care and are continuing to Level 3 at Houghall College, while balancing business operations.

“It has been tricky trying to schedule it but so far we are doing well with it,” they said. “In college we are trying to get different schedules for both of us so one person can be at the business and the other can be at the college.”

Starting a business isn’t always a walk in the park, and the Walkers share some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. “Do your research and make sure you know what you’re going into,” Keeley said.

“Don’t be afraid to go after something you’re passionate about because it makes a big difference.”

“We would love to grow Canine Walkers,” they said. The goal is to “build up a really strong reputation locally, and keep developing our knowledge and qualifications in animal care.”

“Our favourite part of the job”, they shared, “is meeting all the different animals and getting to know their personalities.

“It’s really rewarding when an animal becomes comfortable around us and we know the owner trusts us to look after them.

“Every animal is different so we always try to put their needs and welfare first.”

Find out more about Canine Walkers, including contact information, by visiting their Facebook page @CanineWalkers.