We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebekah Clarey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebekah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

The main thought process behind starting my business was to work at doing something I love and to have the freedom of one day starting a family, with the ability to be there and watch them grow.

I’ve always been known for my elaborate ideas and my love for doing a hundred things at once. So, back in 2022 I had an another one of my idea’s. This was that I wanted to become a dog walker, whilst juggling my full time job as a Police officer, working those dreaded shifts and long hours. Whilst planning how I could juggle both, I realised this wasn’t an idea to make extra money, it was an idea about doing something I love and creating happiness in my life. As most of us know, there is something special about being around a cute puppy that just wants to cuddles and love you. In the past I had always helped friends and family with their dogs and knew I had a passion for working with animals, But I stuck at my job of working in the Police and never found the time to start the dog walking business. A year later I met my partner who has been self employed for 14 years and loves his job profoundly. He could easily see that I was struggling to stay positive in the police and told me to work at something I love, I said I’ve always wanted to work with dogs and so 3 months later, I handed my badge in as a Police detective and became Paws with Bekah a 5 star dog walking, dog boarding and pet services business based in Castle Hedingham.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am most proud of how much I love waking up in the morning, getting in my walking gear and being able to walk the most friendliest of dogs in the beautiful countryside. I’ve always had a passion for hiking and being outdoors, so to be able to be paid to do the two things I love feels like a huge achievement. The hardest challenge I found was trying to find myself in a new area. After leaving Hertfordshire Police I moved to Castle Hedingham which is about 50 miles away. To build a business not having any connections to begin with was tough, also in a time where people are trying to save money. Also social media is an amazing way to market your business, but sometimes it feels like to progress on social media and build your profile you have to sit on it for hours or spend lots of money on ad’s. Which is tough for someone trying to start a new business with limited funds. Building a business isn’t easy and it shouldn’t be, you should always keep working to try and make it better, just like anything in life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Firstly I would show them around our beautiful home, which is were I home board the dogs that are in my care. Our house is set in the beautiful countryside and me and my partner are continuously making our home special. We have a spectacular garden that overlooks a meadow. I think the first evening we would definitely have a bbq in the garden, a couple of beers and some amazing grilled fish and salad. We would watch the sunset on the meadow and play board games. To finish the night we would watch a movie on the sofa with some snacks. The next day we would all drive up to Thetford forest which is an hour away, it is one of the largest forests in the UK. It’s a great place to go walking, cycling and to be in nature. The next day I would take them to Sudbury for a coffee from Toast or Cradle, whilst looking around the local charity shops for some hidden vintage gems. In the evening I would take them to Braintree to the arcades.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest supporter and mentor is my partner Mike Philp, after coming into my life and encouraging me to follow my dreams. He holds my hand every step of the way and we both hold value in the little things in life. Since starting my business Megan at Meg’s dog grooming based in Sudbury, Suffolk has been incredibly friendly and welcomed me to area. Also my beautiful mother, `Beverley Clarey, she has always told me to do what I love and supported me even when leaving the Police.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawswithbekah/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094100352219

Other: Google: PAWS WITH BEKAH

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.