'I remember thinking, 'This is a job?'': How a Wetherby mum built an award-nominated business from a single dog walk

When Claire Pearson set out on her first paid dog walk in Wetherby in 2018, she did not imagine she was laying the foundations for what would become an award-winning independent business.

At the time, she was simply a mother trying to find a job that fitted around her children’s needs.

Claire, who had spent years working in compliance, explained that the business began during a turbulent period for her family.

“[My daughter] Hannah was going through difficulties at school,” she told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “We had to pull her out in Year 9. Once she was settled with home schooling, I thought, ‘What am I going to do now? I don’t want to go back into compliance.”

A friend who worked as a dog walker invited her along on a route. “I remember thinking, ‘This is a job?’,” she said. When that friend later moved into grooming, Claire inherited a handful of dogs - and George’s Pet Pals was born.

The early days were slow and demanding. “You’ve got to get your name out there, get people to trust you,” she said. “I was working all hours, trying to accommodate every request.”

Hannah, then studying for her GCSEs, often joined her mum on walks “for a bit of fresh air” and some pocket money.

The pandemic unexpectedly became a turning point. After closing for three weeks, Claire reopened to support key workers and elderly clients. Because she covered multiple villages - from Wetherby to Tockwith and Long Marston - her business survived the uncertain times.

When restrictions were lifted, demand for her services surged. “Every man and his dog got a dog,” she joked.

But the most significant change came from within her own team. Hannah, who had been diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia, discovered a natural confidence around animals.

She said: “I went from someone who wouldn’t speak to anyone to someone who can walk up to people and talk. Being part of the business made me a completely different person.”

At 21, she now runs her own company, M&A Pet Services.

Claire’s son Connor, who is autistic, soon followed. “He loves cats,” she said. “We realised how hard it was going to be for him to find a job that suited his needs. So I said, ‘Why don’t you do cat care?’ And he absolutely loved it.”

What began as a family solution has grown into a 20-strong network of independent dog walkers and pet carers - many of whom are neurodivergent.

“It wasn’t something I planned,” Claire said. “It just happened naturally. People came to me looking for opportunities, and I recognised the challenges they were facing. They’re an untapped workforce.”

Her team now includes students, young mums, pensioners, and people seeking flexible work.

“I build the business around the people. I adapt to them, not the other way around,” she said.

George’s Pet Pals - named after George, the family’s cardigan corgi - now covers most of the LS postcode and into Wakefield. The business offers dog walking, puppy visits, senior dog care, small animal care, horse care and a growing home-boarding network licensed by Leeds City Council.

What sets them apart, Claire said, is continuity and care.

“We’re the biggest team in the area, so clients always have cover. And we cater for each individual dog - their temperament, their needs, their best fit. Most of our groups are three or four dogs. It’s safer and calmer,” she said.

The business’s rapid growth has now earned it a nomination for the Yorkshire Choice Awards’ Best Independent Business. “We’re just a little dog-walking business in Wetherby,” Claire said. “To be nominated is major. It’s recognition - and that alone feels like winning.”

For Claire, though, the real reward remains closer to home. “It’s peace of mind,” she said. “Knowing my children have roles they enjoy, that they can grow in, that gives them purpose.

“If this is what’s happened in the last three years, imagine the next two.”