HATHERLEIGH & OKEHAMPTON · EST 2021
The dog walker your nervous dog will trust.
Group walks, solo walks, enclosed field trips and cat visits across Hatherleigh, Okehampton and surrounding villages. BSc Animal Behaviour. IMDT canine body language. DBS-checked. Fully insured.
100% recommend · 36 Facebook reviews
- Group walk
- £14 / 1hr
- Cat visit
- £7 / 15min
- FB recommends
- 100%
- Trading since
- 2021
- BSc Animal Behaviour
- IMDT Body Language
- Wellbeing on Walks
- Pet First Aid
- DBS Checked
- Insured
MEET MEL
Joy and Happy came home with me from work — and never left.
I've had a keen interest in animals from an early age — forever watching David Attenborough and growing up in a house full of different animals. I always knew this was the career I wanted.
I set up Claws & Paws on the Moors in September 2021. Muffin the staffy was my first — I rehomed her from Margaret Green Animal Rescue (Wingletang) while volunteering there. Sadly we lost Muffin in 2022 due to lymphoma.
Joy and Happy are my dachshunds — they came home with me from work during lockdown and never left. A short while after losing Muffin, Cookie joined us as a rescue staffy because the house was too empty without one. She quickly showed me how much anxiety she carried, and we've been working together ever since to build her confidence.
Before setting up on my own I worked at Leburnick Dog Boarding & Day Care, volunteered for two years at Margaret Green Animal Rescue (Wingletang), and trained alongside the team at Absolute Dogs with their working sports dogs.
I aim to provide exceptional pet care service with always the pets welfare prioritised. I took the Sally Lewis Wellbeing on Walks course as well as the IMDT canine body language course so I can read every dog's wellbeing on the walk and stay in close contact with owners about any changes in behaviour or health.
When I'm not working I'm usually out walking on Dartmoor with the dogs, and I try to do a charity walk or challenge each year to raise money for rescue animals.
“Cookie taught me what a nervous dog really needs. She's why I trained with Sally Lewis.”
Wellbeing on Walks programme
Certified by Sally Lewis · canine wellbeing reading on every walk.
IMDT Canine Body Language
Trained to read body cues that anxious dogs give early.
For dogs · For cats
What I offer.
Group walks, solo walks, enclosed field trips, lunchtime drop-ins and cat visits. Every service starts with a free meet & greet at home.
- 01
Group dog walks
Good chance for your dog to gain socialisation skills with other dogs as well as new environments. Maximum six dogs on a walk, depending on behaviour and group dynamics. Walks tailored to dogs' needs — play style, size, energy. Once-a-week spaces as well as daily. Dogs must be ok with other dogs — happy to chat through any individual needs first.
Arrange a meet & greet- £14 / 1 hour
- Two dogs same household · £24
- 02
Solo walks
A one-to-one walk for your dog, fully focused on them. Available outside group-walk lunchtime windows. Potential 30-minute spaces between 11 and 12.
Arrange a meet & greet- £10 / 30 min
- £12 / 1 hour
- 03
Enclosed field trips
Perfect for dogs with not-so-perfect recall. Socialise with friends and enjoy enrichment activities in a fully fenced field. Tuesday at Runmoor (Whiddon Down), Thursday at Woofworthy (Holsworthy), Friday at Wag & Walk (Winkleigh).
Arrange a meet & greet- £14 / 1 hour
- 04
Lunchtime drop-in visits
A 30-minute lunchtime garden visit, limited availability between 11 and 12 Monday to Friday. Perfect for puppies, older dogs, or any dog that doesn't need a walk that day. Play, cuddles, feeding, water checked — and I bring my enrichment toys for some extra fun.
Arrange a meet & greet- £10 / 30 min
- 05
Cat & small-animal visits
Drop-in visits of 15 or 30 minutes. I send photos and a short update so you know they're settled. Available in Hatherleigh town and surrounding villages while you're away.
Arrange a meet & greet- £7 / 15 min
- £10 / 30 min
Transparent pricing
Pricing at a glance.
Prices excluding group walks are based in Hatherleigh. Extra charges apply for fuel and time at other locations.
| Service | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Group walk1 hour | 1 hour | £14 |
| Group walk — two dogs (same household)1 hour | 1 hour | £24 |
| Solo walk30 min | 30 min | £10 |
| Solo walk1 hour | 1 hour | £12 |
| Enclosed field trip1 hour | 1 hour | £14 |
| Lunchtime drop-in30 min | 30 min | £10 |
| Cat / small-animal visit15 min | 15 min | £7 |
| Cat / small-animal visit30 min | 30 min | £10 |
Holiday rates, multi-day cat-visit bundles and multi-dog discounts are available — message Mel for a quote.
First meet & greet is free — at your home, by arrangement. Confirmed with Mel before first booking.
— A specialism
The dog walker for the dog who doesn’t want to be walked.
When Cookie came home with us as a rescue, it took time to learn what she needed. Patience, body-language reading, and small calm steps. She's why I trained in IMDT Canine Body Language and completed Sally Lewis's Wellbeing on Walks course — and she's why nervous, anxious and reactive dogs are at the centre of what I do.
- IMDT Canine Body Language
- Wellbeing on Walks · Sally Lewis
- BSc Animal Behaviour & Welfare
“Mel has been really great in helping our dog be less reactive and nervous around other dogs. She now really enjoys her walks, thanks Mel!”
— THIS WEEK'S RHYTHM
Three enclosed fields. Three days a week.
Safe off-lead time at three of West Devon's best enclosed fields — rain, shine, or moor mist.
Runmoor Dog Park
Whiddon Down
Safe enclosed field for confident off-lead play.
£14 / 1 hour · per dogbook a spot
Woofworthy
Holsworthy
Fully enclosed dog field — perfect for dogs with not-so-perfect recall.
£14 / 1 hour · per dogbook a spot
Wag & Walk Winkleigh
Winkleigh
Fully enclosed dog field — perfect for dogs with not-so-perfect recall.
£14 / 1 hour · per dogbook a spot
REVIEWS · FACEBOOK · 100% RECOMMEND
What Mel's clients actually say.
Verbatim from Facebook — every name, every dog, every word.
— HOW IT STARTS
How a meet & greet works.
No commitment, no surprise fee. I won't take a dog I haven't met yet.
Step 1: Message Mel
Phone, text or WhatsApp on 07500 601043, or use the contact form below.
Step 2: We chat about your dog
I'll ask about temperament, recall, walking history and what you'd like from group, solo or drop-in visits.
Step 3: Free 30-minute meet at home
I come to you. We meet your dog at home so I can read body language in their own space — completely free, no commitment.
Step 4: First walk booked
Once we're both happy, your dog joins their first walk. I send photos and a short update so you know how it went.
Most new bookings start with a meet — I won't take a dog I haven't met yet.
— ON THE MOORS
On the moors with the pack.
— WHAT EVERYONE ASKS
Everything you might want to know.
— WHERE I COVER
Hatherleigh + the villages all around it.
Based in Hatherleigh, I cover Okehampton and the surrounding villages. Prices outside group walks are based in Hatherleigh — extra charges apply for fuel and time to further locations.
- Hatherleigh
- Okehampton
- Highampton
- Black Torrington
- Sheepwash
- Petrockstowe
- Meeth
- Iddesleigh
- Monkokehampton
- Exbourne
Further out? Drop me a message — happy to discuss bespoke trips.
— ARRANGE A MEET & GREET
Tell me about your dog (or cat).
Free · no commitment · I reply the same day where I can.