Behind every walk,
the same two people
A couple who chose a small life with animals instead of a bigger one without them. Walking dogs in Kensington Gardens, on foot, since 2007.
We’re Agnes and Pavel, two ordinary people who turned a shared love of animals into a way of life.
Both of us grew up in homes where there was always a dog, and somewhere along the way it became clear that being around them was where we belonged. We’re not business people by nature. We chose this work to be closer to dogs and to nature, and that’s why we never wanted to grow into something bigger.
From the start we wanted to build a small family, just us and the dogs we walk. With only the two of us, we know every dog and every dog knows us. The bond runs deep enough that we rarely need anything more than common sense, a reliable recall, and trust to keep things calm.
No over the top methods. No heavy discipline. We want the dogs with us to be themselves – natural, comfortable, a bit like kids in nursery school who happen to know the rules.
Agnes
Agnes has spent most of her life around animals. As a child she dreamed of becoming a vet; life took her in a different direction, but the part about working with animals never went away. After arriving in London in 2006, she found her way into dog walking almost by accident, and never looked back.
Some clients call her the dog whisperer. It’s not without reason. Agnes notices the first signs that something is off with a dog long before anyone else, often before the symptoms are visible. Dogs let her do almost anything: eye drops, ear cleaning, checking between the pads of their paws, things their owners often can’t manage at home. The dogs feel that she understands them, and they trust her with that. When something small goes wrong on a walk, a thorn in a paw, a bee sting, she has the calm, certain hands of someone who has done it many times before.
Outside work, Agnes rides horses twice a week at a stables nearby, reads everything she can get her hands on (Truman Capote is a favourite), photographs the dogs constantly, and after a long day still finds time to make sure the rabbits’ room is comfortable. If she were a dog, she’d be part English setter with her head in the clouds, and part chihuahua ready to take on a rottweiler ten times her size to defend her pack.
Pavel
Pavel worked as an engineer in London before joining Agnes in 2011. After several years in that world, he decided he wanted to spend his days closer to dogs and to nature, and never looked back from that decision.
Pavel reads dogs quickly. When meeting a new one, he can usually tell within minutes how the dog will fit into our group, whether it’s confident or nervous, sociable or guarded, mischievous or steady. We always give every dog a fair chance, but his instincts have kept the pack safe more than once. He’s also the patient one when it comes to training: dogs that arrive pulling hard on the lead tend to walk calmly beside him within weeks. It comes from being unhurried and consistent, the same way every day.
He still talks about Humphrey, a dog he walked for twelve years. Humphrey would be at the far end of the park, and a single wave of Pavel’s hand was enough to bring him running back. After Humphrey passed, regulars in the park kept telling Pavel how strange it was to see him without Humphrey at his side.
Outside work, Pavel plays competitive chess for the Wimbledon team, listens to old music (he has accumulated more records than is reasonable), and disappears into the mountains every summer. If he were a dog, he’d be a slow, contented Saint Bernard living somewhere high up and philosophising about the meaning of bird songs.
Our family
The animals who share our life.
Kolo
Our first dog, who joined us a few years after the business started. No longer with us, but never forgotten.
Karol
Our current four-legged son. The bosses’ son, as the pack would say. Lucky enough to come to work with us most days.
Lamia & Benoni
Our two rabbits. They have their own room in the house, one of the perks of sharing a home with us.