I’ll be upfront with you here: this was one of the hardest categories to research for Denbighshire. Independent, professional dog walkers with a genuine online presence are thin on the ground in this county, at least that we could find and verify. Here’s exactly what we did find, and exactly how far that verification goes.
PAWS Dog Walking & Boarding
Run by a local walker named Victoria, PAWS covers “Local Dog Walking and home boarding in Prestatyn, Rhyl and Denbighshire” — so it’s a coastal-strip business, and we couldn’t confirm whether it reaches inland towns like Denbigh, Ruthin or Llangollen.
- Address: 21 Westbourne Avenue, Rhyl, LL18 1EG
- Phone: 07970 428950
- Email: pawswalking321@gmail.com
- Website: paws-walking.com, with a linked Facebook business page
We need to be honest about the gaps here. The website displays an image captioned “Paws Licence” but doesn’t give a licence number or issuing authority, so we’re treating that as an unverified claim rather than a confirmed one. The site also states the business is fully insured, DBS checked and canine-first-aid trained, but again these are self-declared with no certificate shown. We couldn’t find a single independent review anywhere, on the site or searchable via Facebook, for this single-operator business.
That doesn’t mean it’s not a genuine, perfectly good local dog walker — plenty of small, excellent businesses have thin online footprints. It just means we can’t vouch for it to the same standard as a walker with verified insurance documents and a track record of public reviews.
How to vet a dog walker yourself
Given how thin this category is across Denbighshire, here’s what Figo and I would actually check before booking any walker, however they were found:
- Ask to see proof of public liability insurance and, if they offer home boarding, their local council’s animal boarding/home boarding licence number — you can check a licence against the issuing council’s public register.
- Ask whether they’re a member of a professional body such as NARPS-UK or the National Association of Registered Petsitters, which require background checks.
- Ask for at least two independent references you can actually contact, not just quotes on their own website.
- Meet them and your dog together first, before any solo walk, and watch how your dog reacts.
- Check whether they use secure, appropriately sized transport if your dog will be driven anywhere, and ask how many dogs are walked together at once.
If you run a dog walking business in Denbigh, Ruthin, Llangollen, St Asaph, Rhuddlan or Corwen and can point us to verifiable insurance, licensing or reviews, we’d genuinely like to hear from you so we can update this page.
FAQs
Are there verified dog walkers across all of Denbighshire?
No. We could only verify one business, PAWS Dog Walking & Boarding, covering the Rhyl and Prestatyn coastal strip, and even that rests on self-declared licence and insurance claims rather than confirmed documents. We found nothing verifiable for Denbigh, Ruthin, Llangollen, St Asaph, Rhuddlan or Corwen.
How can I check a dog walker is genuinely insured and licensed?
Ask to see the actual insurance certificate and, for home boarding, the licence number issued by the local council, which you can usually verify on the council’s public register. Membership of a body like NARPS-UK is another good sign, since it requires background checks.
What should I do if I can’t find a verified dog walker near me in Denbighshire?
Ask local vets or groomers for a personal recommendation, request contactable references from any walker you’re considering, and always meet them with your dog before booking a solo walk.
