This isn’t a long list, and we want to be upfront about why. Fully independent dog walkers with their own live website or social presence are genuinely thin on the ground across Gloucestershire. What we do have is one strong verified business, a council self-registration scheme that’s worth knowing about (but isn’t the same thing as verification), and a handful of Rover.com profiles that clear a 50-review bar.
Verified local dog walkers
- Whoswalkingme, Cheltenham & surrounding area — a named team (Gayle Rickards plus three staff) with its own website, active Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts, and content updated well into 2026. The site states a Tewkesbury Borough Council animal licence, which we haven’t independently checked ourselves, so take that detail as stated rather than verified by us.
Stroud District Council’s dog walkers register
Stroud District Council runs a voluntary “Professional Dog Walkers’ Code of Conduct” — walkers self-register, agree to a code (a maximum of six dogs, insurance, cleaning up after their dogs, and licensing where it applies), and consent to being published on the council’s list. Importantly, the council is clear that it does not vet, inspect or certify compliance, and being listed isn’t a council endorsement. With that caveat, it’s still a useful starting point: the published list runs to 91 names and covers Stroud, Dursley, Cam, Nailsworth, Stonehouse, Chalford, Painswick, Berkeley and the surrounding villages. Search “Stroud District Council dog walkers code of conduct” to find the current list, since names and numbers can change.
Rover.com profiles (platform-only)
These are Rover’s own figures, not independently corroborated by us, and Rover’s “Identity Verified” badge is Rover’s own in-house check rather than independent vetting. Rover also only shows first name plus initial, and the same sitter can turn up across more than one nearby town page, since Rover searches by radius rather than a fixed town. With those caveats in mind, here are the profiles we found with 50 or more reviews on the relevant town pages:
- Cheltenham: Lily J. (94 reviews), Shannon W. (65 reviews)
- Gloucester: Ella F. (87 reviews)
- Stroud: Izabela R. (92 reviews)
- Tewkesbury: Glenn W. (61 reviews), Shannon W. (52 reviews)
Cirencester’s Rover page wasn’t loading reliably when we checked, so we can’t confirm whether there’s a qualifying profile there — worth a direct look on Rover’s own site if you’re in that area.
Honest summary: if you want a fully independent, verified business with its own live web presence, Whoswalkingme in Cheltenham is the one name we’d stand behind. For the rest of the county, the Stroud register and the Rover profiles above are real, usable starting points — but they’re a different kind of source (self-registration and a booking platform, not independent verification), so we’ve kept them clearly labelled rather than presented alongside Whoswalkingme as equally confirmed.
If your dog finds a new walker a bit much at first — new hands, new routine, a different pace on the lead — that’s completely normal. Calming treats or a calming collar can help take the edge off those first few sessions, alongside a proper introduction. If the anxiety doesn’t settle, have a word with your vet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stroud District Council’s dog walkers list a recommendation?
No. The council is explicit that it doesn’t vet, inspect or certify anyone on the list — walkers self-register and agree to a code of conduct. It’s a useful starting point for finding names, not a guarantee of quality.
Are Rover.com review counts independently checked?
No, they’re Rover’s own in-house figures, and the “Identity Verified” badge is Rover’s own check rather than independent vetting. Treat Rover profiles as a lead to follow up, not a verified recommendation.
Is there an independently verified dog walker in Gloucestershire?
Whoswalkingme, covering Cheltenham and the surrounding area, is the one business we found with a live, maintained website and active social media presence we could check ourselves.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who still thinks every new walker is secretly a treat dispenser.
