Holly Ashmore, a former worker with special needs children, has turned her love of animals into a thriving pet sitting business in Solihull, with her three-year-old daughter Cally by her side. After being made redundant, Holly launched Holly's Pet Sitting Service, which offers pop-in visits to care for animals in their own homes while owners are away.
From Redundancy to a New Career
When Holly lost her job, her partner Les reassured her, saying 'you'll think of something'. That encouragement led her to propose becoming a professional pet sitter, and Les was more than happy to convert their back garden and build indoor enclosures for the animals. The family business was soon born.
"I love animals and Cally loves animals so we decided to give it a go," said Holly, from Solihull. "Cally helps me feed them and passes me the stuff to clean their enclosures."
Daily Routine and Animal Guests
Each morning, Cally springs out of bed and rushes downstairs to feed the rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. The family also has a 14-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Sasha, who gets along well with the animal guests that come to stay.
"Sasha is so good with all the animals," said Holly. "She goes and sniffs them and then away she goes. I let my rabbits run around the downstairs of our house and they will go and lie in her bed."
The business offers pop-in visits, and Holly recounted a recent visit to a cat named Leo. "He comes running up the garden when she calls his name," she said. "We've even popped in to look after a pet gecko!"
Building a Client Base
Holly's love of animals stems from childhood. "I've always loved small furries, and always had hamsters and rabbits when I was younger," she explained. She tries not to get attached to the animals they care for, but admits it's difficult for Cally sometimes. "I'll say this is our last visit here and she'll say 'why?' and I'll say because the owners are coming back from their holiday."
Despite the occasional sadness, the business has grown steadily. "But we get a lot of repeat customers so they've become our regulars, which is nice. A lot of it comes through word-of-mouth, which is great because when people recommend me, I'm obviously doing a good job!"
Holly has been running the service for two years, and this summer has been "non-stop".
Rewards of a Family Venture
When asked about the best part of being mother-and-daughter pet sitters, Holly smiled: "The cuddles! It's really rewarding, both for me and Cally. She's learning things all the time."
"When we go and see all the animals and they're so happy, it makes us happy. We love it when the rabbits do a back-kick and get the zoomies because it means they're happy and content. It's a nice feeling to think we've helped someone else and we've got the enjoyment of looking after the animals."
The story is part of the Brummie Mummies Kitchen Table Business series, which highlights small family-run enterprises across Birmingham. Those interested in taking part can contact the series via the Brummie Mummies Facebook or Instagram pages.
