Paul Halligan, 60, is this year celebrating 10 years and over 100,000 miles driven at his dream job as doggy chauffer, with Bruce’s, the UK leaders in doggy day care.
Having learnt about this unique job after his son-in-law spotted a vacancy online back in 2011, Paul has grown to become an intrinsic part of the Bruce’s business. At the time, Bruce and his small team had only just started to expand the facility which consisted of two fields, one carpark and three doggy buses, a stark contrast to the thriving operation Bruce is running today across eight sites across the UK.
Paul’s special role involves chauffeuring pups from their homes across South London and Surrey to and from Bruce’s Cobham day care site in his bespoke “doggy bus” pictured here.
The custom designed vehicle has been perfected over 10 years to offer the ultimate in doggy travel, featuring calming panpipe music to help relax the pooches after a long day of learning and playing, custom fitted beds, specialised temperature control and a regular group of travel buddies that they can build relationships with.
Each dog has a personalised set of instructions which Paul follows when dropping them home, from putting Radio 4 on, to keeping them company or getting them settled in a specific room they’re most comfortable in.
Paul’s love of animals first started in school, but sadly he was never allowed dogs at home due to a dog allergy in the family. To make up for this and earn some extra pocket money, Paul looked after the neighbour’s chickens and walked their dogs after school, something that only increased his love for the furry friends.
It’s interesting that Paul has now ended up working alongside them taking them to and from their homes for the past 10 years. Although Paul’s always worked in a public facing roles that involve being outdoors, the fact Bruce’s has the addition of dogs to keep him company “definitely gives it the edge!”.
Dog day care businesses across the UK have experienced a huge surge in business as pet owners look to organise care for their four-legged family members since returning to the office. Bruce’s saw a 94% increase on enquiries in January 2022 compared to December[1] 2021. The growth is also due to the estimated 3.2 million households that bought a pet during lockdown[2], something that correlates with fully booked puppy training classes at Bruce’s.
Paul explains; “I love everything about the job! It’s a great way to start your morning, going to pick up the dogs and seeing their happy faces, tails wagging and excited to see you. The bond you have with a dog is really special, no matter how long it’s been, they never forget you and will always love you once you make that connection. I’ve been out walking my own dogs in the park and had dogs from Bruce’s spot me from afar and come to say hello, I’ve even experienced it with dogs I haven’t driven for years when they see the van out in public!
“I’ve been doing the same route for 9 years now and been picking up some of those dogs since they were puppies, that are now 9 or 10 years old. In that time, I’ve seen the owners’ children grow up too – going from kids getting ready for school when I pick up the family dog, then going to university and now coming back having graduated and working in professional roles. It’s a wonderful part of the job, making those bonds with the dogs and their families. Some of them even call me Uncle Paul!”
Every dog is unique and so Bruce’s assesses the needs of each dog and puts them into smaller social groups matched by age, size and play style, just like a children’s nursery. Operating an 8:1 carer to dog ratio ensures that all dogs have plenty of personal care and attention throughout the day and no dog is ever left unattended.
