Rebecca Rowland may just have the perfect job for an animal lover with an eye for business. For the Felpham businesswoman combines her affection for small creatures with a desire to look after them in the shape of her very own pet hotel.
It’s very much a labour of love for Rebecca who, along with mum Karina, runs the hotel under the auspices of her company, R and R Pet Services.
The business caters for pet holidays, small animal grooming, educational workshops, runs a kids’ pet club, stages children’s parties, and offers a hutch build service as well as helpfully dishing out tips and advice.
And not forgetting a dog-sitting service, though, for various reasons, the pet hotel doesn’t care for cats.
It means owners taking time away from home for holidays, family visits or business no longer have to worry that their furry pets such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs aren’t getting the care they deserve.
The hotel boasts an entirely new, super insulated ceiling, new floor and custom worktops to house everything from leopard geckos and dwarf rabbits.
Rebecca, who studied animal management at Sparsholt College of agriculture, came up with the idea of the pet hotel when she was an assistant manager for a large pet store and found she was being asked the same question: “What do I do if I have to go away?”
She explains: “The pet hotel is proving very popular and it’s great to have started something that is so well received. We’ve gone from strength to strength since we opened two years ago and the feedback we get is very encouraging, showing we are ticking all the boxes as far as our clients and their pets are concerned.
“We have many, many repeat customers and I think that is the true mark of whether you are getting things right or not so it’s all very positive.”
It goes without saying that, given Rebecca’s love for animals, the hotel has a few resident creatures who have found their way to the loving environment because owners no longer wanted them or other unhappy circumstances.
One such lucky creature is Pickles, an African pygymy hedgehog, as well as resident rabbits happy to make their stay a longer one that perhaps expected. Another is Mr Tortoise!
Such is the popularity of the hotel and its services that Rebecca has plenty of events lined up, from a Spring Fun Day next February, an Easter Holiday Pet Club and the hotel’s very own “R and R Pet Fayre” next May.
You can call Rebecca for more details on 07518172485.
