When I was looking for a van for the business I had a few criteria:
- Reliable – I didn’t want a van that was going to break down all the time, our clients rely on us to get to their house on time and take their dogs out for walks … or feed and fuss the cat and other furry, or not so furry, pets
- Cheap – Dog walkers clock up the mileage getting from house to house and I was after a van which would stand up to inner city driving and be economical in the process
- Professional – At Jog My Dog we’re serious about providing first class pet sitting and dog walking services in Milton Keynes so I needed a van which looked the part
- Safe – Because we’re carrying precious cargo I needed to find a van which had sufficient space to hold four or five custom dog cages
Choosing Your Dog Walkers Van
With the above in mind I set out to find a suitable van. I searched on Ebay, Autotrader and a number of other websites. Sure there were vans for sale, but a lot of them had really high mileage (another no no) or were miles away. As luck would have it CJM Autos – just down the road in Leighton Buzzard – had a few vans for sale. We went to take a look one weekend and that was it, when I saw the blue VW Caddy’s for sale I knew I had hit the jackpot in terms of the right van for my business.
The van was not only really low mileage, it also had a sparkling clean inside ready to be kitted out with individual dog cages; what’s more: it is the ‘Jog My Dog blue’ in colour, it couldn’t be more perfect!
Where To Buy Dog Cages For Your Pet Sitting Business Van
Once I had my van the hunt was well and truly on for finding the right company to kit it out with individual dog cages, complete with water bowls, beds, etc. This proved to be harder than I initially thought it would be.
Some companies didn’t respond at all. While others made the measuring process so difficult I gave up! One evening while my dog Grizzle and I were out at agility I got chatting with a girl who was prepping her dogs for the session and noted a little sign on the van caging she had: Steve Gardner Custom Made Cages. I asked about the quality and was assured it was first class. On coming home I sent a quick email to Steve, half expecting no response .. however, first thing in the morning there was a lovely email in my inbox whereby I was provided with all the information I needed in order to proceed: cost, timescale, delivery. That’s it – simple!
I placed the order and within a week the van was up in his yard getting measured and another two weeks later kitted out with the custom made dog cages, complete with rubber matting and locks. I chose to have access from both the side doors and rear, along with the option to retrofit additional caging behind the driver / passenger seat (giving me 5 or 6 cages in total).
Custom Made Cages can’t be recommended enough, not only for their great workmanship but also the customer service – Steve took the time to respond to my initial email and did so in layman’s terms. I will 100% be going back in the future when I need further cages fitted.
Finally, I purchased some comfy dog mattresses from Ebay and added water bowls, towels, etc for the finishing touches. The doggies out with Jog My Dog are not only travelling safe, they are traveling in style.
Want to book your dog in for either our fabulously fun dog walks in Milton Keynes or our doggy day care service? Just check out our website to learn more. We look forward to looking after your pets!
