Reigate March 2019 News

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to your Reigate Scamps and Champs March 2019 Newsletter. This month it’s all about introducing you to our new dog walkers and two new pawsome pet clients! 

We are thoroughly enjoying looking after your pets and ensuring they get out for many walks in the fresh air! 

It appears our dog walkers enjoy the experience just as much as your dogs do! 

Introducing Cintia and Dan!

Hi all, I introduced you all to the lovely Dan the other day and I now have the pleasure of introducing Cintia who by the looks of this picture is a match made in heaven! Welcome to the Scamps and Champs Reigate team Cintia its great to have you on board!

“Hello! I am Cintia and I am passionate about animals. My love for them defines who I am today, I am also a local artist, a ceramicist. I come from Argentina, where I grew up surrounded by animals, mainly  dogs and  cats, but I also had hamsters, ducks,  rabbits, tortoises, even a fox I had! Stray dogs followed me everywhere, as I couldn’t resist cuddling, stroking and feeding them whenever possible!

Today I am the lucky owner of Willow, a Jack Russell crossed with Shih Tzu who I love dearly and on a regular basis I look after Bunji, rescued from the streets of Spain, my sister’s dog. I have also come forward for fostering dogs saved from the Asian meat trade! 

I am really loving being part of Scamps & Champs through whom I had the opportunity to meet and look after ‘Danny’! I can’t wait to see what the future brings with this new adventure…Thank you Simon!”

Meet Kim!

“I’m Kim & I’m part of the Scamps and Champs team in Reigate. I have years of experience in the animal industry working in places such as Last Chance Rescue Centre & Orchard Farm Kennels, I am also currently volunteering for the RSPCA Godstone & have grown up with various pets. I have completed courses in Animal Care & Pet Obedience which means I am able to help with some aspects of training such as lead and recall work. I am also currently studying Animal Welfare​.”

We are so pleased to have you on board Kim it is clear how experienced you are and how passionate you are about animals!

Wedding Pet Chaperone Service 2019

Did you know that you can now have your pet present on your wedding day?

Using Scamps and Champs Wedding Chaperone Service, we will ensure you pet is looked after for the entirety of the day!

We tailor each service to suit your individual requirements and we can even ensure that your pet is dressed for the occasion! 

New Pet Client Gallery!

We have two super cute miniture dachshund pups Ruby and Saphie who have started walking with the lovely Kim at Scamps and Champs Reigate! – How gorgeous are they!

Ruby and Saphie

So now we have introduced you to everyone don’t forget to check our service availability or ask us any questions above! 

We look forward to hearing from you soon and to our dedicated team caring for your pets in the future!

All the best

Simon Ellis – Scamps & Champs Reigate

Check out our availability or get in touch to ask us a question via our simple online form and one of the team will get back to you shortly!

Your Pets at your Wedding? – Well I never thought it could be possible!

As we all know for the bride it’s her special day, why shouldn’t your beloved pet be part of this and, the groom would secretly love to have that happen too! It really is possible and after an initial free consultation you will find out just how Scamps and Champs Reigate can help to make this part of your dream day come true. We recognise how important it is that you have your pet included in your wedding and we want to help your day go as perfectly as possible for you. We can ensure that your best friend is chaperoned to your wedding venue and by your side in all of your professional wedding photographs.

From collection in the morning, or the night before, to having your pet looking their best by having them expertly groomed, to being a ring bearer your chaperone can take care of everything. If you also need your dog walked, your pets fed and even looked after the night after, don’t worry we will design the package to suit your personal needs and wants. All of our wedding packages are bespoke and can be tailored to your individual requirements. Your cat or dog can be involved in as little or as much of your special day as you like. It is important that we meet your needs and work together to meet the personality and requirements of your pet too. We recognise that a wedding venue is an unfamiliar environment for your furry friend and we therefore want to be there to support them every step of the way.

So if you are getting married this year and thought how can you make this happen? Just think how great it would be to have the lasting memory. Please do get in touch and if you are getting married  in the Surrey, Sussex and Kent areas it will our pleasure to help and support you by enabling you to have your best friend there knowing they are being expertly looked after the whole time.

CLICK HERE to ask us a question or to check availability for the Wedding Pet Chaperone Service!

View Scamps and Champs Reigate webpage to see more about our services.

You are planning a holiday – but what about the Cat?

Cat, Sitting, Pet, Sitting, Holidays

A question always asked by cat lovers, when they are having to leave their furry loved ones for long periods of time during holidays is, what cat sitting services are available for our beloved feline-friends? It can cause as much of a personal dilemma as which destination to select for your holidays!

When pondering whether a cat sitter or a cattery is best for your cat, it is worth considering the character and needs of your cat. Cats are known for their independence, just one of the qualities that makes them such great pets! Most cats will be perfectly happy being left alone during the day if you go out to work. Cats will normally snooze for around two thirds of their day, therefore they should be fine left to their own devices for periods of time during an average day, as long as you give them plenty of love, food and quality playtime whilst they’re awake.

However, if you’re going to be away for longer than a day you’ll need to make sure that your cat is properly cared for. Cats are home-loving and territorial, so it is most beneficial to try and find a way for your cat to be looked after within their own home when you go away. They’re unlikely to feel stressed if they’re in their usual environment with its familiar scents, sights and sounds. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a cat-friendly acquaintance who’s happy to pop in to feed them, clean their litter tray, provide fresh water and give them some TLC.

If you do not have this option available to you then you can opt for a cat sitter who will pop in and feed your cat and play with them. Services vary and can be tailored to your cat’s individual needs. You can usually expect a cat sitter to come to your house at least twice a day to feed your furry friend, play with them and clean out their litter tray.

Alternatively, if you feel you would prefer around the clock company and care for your cat, then you can book a trustworthy house sitter to come and stay in your home, to care for your cat in their usual day-to-day environment. As well as keeping an eye on your cat, a house sitter will be able to keep your home tidy and most importantly secure, during their stay.

At Scamps and Champs Reigate we are building a team of passionate animal lovers who are all DBS checked and fully insured and our one aim is to make sure that you and your cat are happy and that you feel safe.

To ask us a question, make an enquiry or to check availability please contact us via our main Scamps and Champs website.

Pet Care in Reigate

Scamps and Champs Pet Care Reigate the first few months

Where does the time go, I am sitting here on a very sunny Sunday afternoon 24/02/2019 in Reigate thinking what a difference a year makes.  

This time last year the beast from the east was on its way and I was facing the toughest decision of my life in knowing I was going to have to put my beloved Charlie dog to sleep, we said goodbye to him on the 28th February 2018. This was after a terrible 2 years in which I lost my very dear friend John to cancer he was only 39. I then lost my other springer spaniel Jakey, then, a  few months later , in the May of 2017 I lost my dear dad and in July 2018 I also lost my brother. All of these sudden and massive life changing events!

Well a year on with the sun shining, I am a few months into setting up Scamps and Champs pet care Reigate and it’s been a rollercoaster of a learning curve and we haven’t even scratched the surface! The main focus has been on building my team and I think we have found a really great nucleus and a couple have been introduced on Facebook namely Jennie who is providing our pet care service in Dorking and surrounding areas.

Jennie is a zoology graduate and has animal experience that most of us could only dream of. Having spent time in Africa as part of her degree. I also have Tracy who lives in Lower Kingswood and is providing pet care in Reigate and Redhill at the moment but as soon as we get business over “her side of the M25” I am sure she will be happy to cover that. Tracy’s love of animals is obvious to see and she grew up around dogs with her dad breeding spaniels so she has experience of training and handling the most excitable of hounds!

The latest recruits are Kimberley who lives in Reigate who has already stepped in to cover some of our clients’ requirements and has a huge amount of pet care experience with her previous work with animal shelters and has a fantastic knack of stopping those dogs from pulling!

I also have Andrew who for a main job is a magician (https://www.andrewkellymagic.com/) but he will make sure your pets don’t disappear! He grew up with all sorts of pets too many to mention but his kind loving nature is there for all to see. There are some very recent recruits too and I will introduce these as soon as I can!

For your peace of mind, all of our pet care team in Reigate are fully insured and policed checked.

I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my family especially my long suffering wife Caroline and my daughter Jessica and of course not forgetting our new dog Bonnie who is now 9 months, talking of time flying.

And with that I want to enjoy some of the nice weather so with my daughter in her bike gear and my wife in her running gear I will be catching them up with Bonnie for a walk to Reigate Heath to wear ourselves out! Might even stop for a drink at the famous extremely dog friendly Skimmington Castle!

If after you’ve enjoyed the sunshine, would like to discuss your pets care please contact me at reigate@scampsandchamps.co.uk or via our online form which you can find HERE

Dog Walking Reigate – it’s a walk in the park!

Reigate must be one of the most dog populated towns in the UK if visiting Priory Park is anything to go by.  As the nights lighten, evening dog walking in Reigate will start to increase. Priory Park is just outside the main town of Reigate and is great for dog walking and you can walk straight into it from Morrison’s Supermarket car park. Once there you can’t help but notice the sense of family, community and Reigate dog lovers!!

This walk starts by the very dog friendly, “pistachios in the park” café , you can’t miss the big glass round building, but more about this later!

This great dog walking in Reigate starts at the front of the café, if you look straight ahead you can see the beacon. This is lit on special occasions, the last one being to commemorate 100 years since the end of WW1 a few months back. Slightly to the left of the beacon you will see a big opening, head to this. Once here you will see a handy dog poo bin if needed. Now go straight up and you will notice the ground becoming sandy, in a while you will be joining the Greensand Way!

At the top of this hill you will see a bench where you  and your dog can take a rest as you will soon be heading up again! From here, with your back to the park, you have 2 options going right, you will see an opening between the trees this is the Greensand Way which can get muddy or you can walk just a few feet more and take a more stable path but both will take you to the top of the park and you will see a monument explaining how some posh folk bequeathed the park to the common folk!

From here keep walking along and to your left you will see fantastic views over towards Gatwick Airport and Sussex beyond to the South Downs and, after a nice walk for a few hundred yards, you will come to a big opening on the right with views over Reigate onto the North Downs way, there are a couple of benches and again some handy poo bins (see how catered they are for the hounds), why not take in the scenery!

From here keep walking straight on and you will see another poo bin, you should bear right here and down the hill. Once at the bottom turn left and after a few yards you will see a set of steep steps down. Put the dog(s) on their leads and head down and cross over down the road opposite. If you look to your right you will see a windmill in the distance, you are heading to that. I would keep the dogs on the lead for now as you head down the road and past some stables * (see below)  and once you have walked past some houses on your right and one on your left, head on.

 You will cross over a stream where your dogs can have a welcome cool off it its hot! After this keep walking you will come to a bit of an opening and there are 3 paths you want to take the one straight up the hill and you will be going along an old drovers way watch out for horses! Keep walking up and then down this path and you will soon see the back of a building which is the Skimmington Castle Pub, probably the most dog friendly pub in the world if you want stop off, but, there will be more about this with Rob and his team in another article!

Walk round the front of this pub and past the front door you will see a path which goes between the pub and a cottage this again is the greensand way. Keep walking up here, it is well covered by trees, a few yards up you may hear a parrot, this is the old nursery, which has been sold now but, the parrot in its cage was still there a couple of weeks ago! It is said that Sir Winston’s Churchill’s parrot resided here on its last years. To your left you will see a walled garden this used to be the country home of the Film Mogul Arthur Rank (remember the big Gong?) Lots of movie stars from time gone by would spend time here. Keep walking and at the end you will see a lovely cottage, turn right here down the greensand way. Once at the bottom put the dogs on leads then head up the drive and cross the road.

You can now head up the sandy path and this will take you to the back of the Golf Club. Walk round the front and you will be afforded some of the best views in Surrey, you can walk round and have a look at the old windmill I told you about earlier which is now used as a church. Basically you can spend some time walking around this heathland but, beware of golfers. I will be talking more about other walks around here another time.

 By now you should think about heading back just retrace your steps above.

At the stables, I mentioned earlier (*) you can go up again if you are feeling fit or take the flatter route to your left. You will have to open the big five bar gate but, remember to close it! You will now be walking between fields with horses in so be aware. At the end of this path is an allotment. Put your dogs on leads again and head over the road back into Priory Park.

 Be aware you are now coming into the back of the park where there is a big pond just in case your dogs are prone to chase ducks! Walk around the paths or over the fields back towards Pistachios café where you started. Once here Gabby and the team will be able to tempt you with all sorts of delights, your hounds can go inside if it’s a wet day or plenty of spaces to sit outside if nice. It is a wonderful café and spot and Gabby is great! I have said I will put a link to her café here https://pistachiosinthepark.org.uk/priory-park/ .

 I hope you enjoy this read and Reigate dog walking. Come back for more dog and pet friendly articles coming soon.

Best wishes Simon and the Team of Reigate Scamps and Champs.