Who We Are
Meet the people behind PetStop.
Taking care of pets and their parents since 2020.
Our Story!
Two different minds, united by our passion for animals.
We are Sophie and Vins, and back in 2020, we had no idea that our lives were about to do a full 180 flip. Vins was a professional chef and aspiring musician, while Sophie had just graduated from UAL, en route to building a career in fashion marketing. But you can’t escape the calling of your heart (and neither could we!), so we decided to follow ours into pet care.
After seeing first-hand some of the shortcomings in the industry, we knew there was room to do things differently. So PetStop began from home, built around a simple idea: to care for every pet as if they were our own.
A lot has changed over the years, and our business and team have grown with us, but our philosophy still lives at the core of everything we do — every pet we care for becomes part of the PetStop family.
We never stop learning!
There are never enough qualifications or knowledge in what we do, but in the meantime, rest assured that we are:
Fully licensed by London Borough of Barnet to provide boarding and day care for dogs.
Hold Levels 2 & 3 of OFQUAL-recognised qualifications in Canine Behaviour & Welfare.
DBS Checked.
Our whole team is Canine First Aid trained.
Fully insured for dog walking, animal boarding, dog daycare, key handling and public liability.
Have a certified Professional Dog Groomer on our team.
Meet the Team!
The people who care for your pets.
Sophie
Co-Founder
I’m the girl behind the laptop and pretty much all of your WhatsApp chats! 💻 Working with animals has been my biggest dream ever since I was a little girl, but growing up in Ukraine, pet care wasn’t really seen as a sensible career path. So it took me many years, a big move abroad, and then some to finally follow my calling.
That’s why running PetStop is so much more than a job to me — it’s my whole life, my biggest passion and my second family. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful that I get to do something I genuinely love every day.
When I’m not working (rarely 🤭), I love travelling and taking care of my little turtle son, Rupert-Walter Jr., who was recently surrendered to us. Because every living creature deserves a loving home🐢
Sophie
Co-Founder
I’m the girl behind the laptop and pretty much all of your WhatsApp chats! 💻 Working with animals has been my biggest dream ever since I was a little girl, but growing up in Ukraine, pet care wasn’t really seen as a sensible career path. So it took me many years, a big move abroad, and then some to finally follow my calling.
That’s why running PetStop is so much more than a job to me — it’s my whole life, my biggest passion and my second family. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful that I get to do something I genuinely love every day.
When I’m not working (rarely 🤭), I love travelling and taking care of my little turtle son, Rupert-Walter Jr., who was recently surrendered to us. Because every living creature deserves a loving home🐢
Vins
Co-Founder
I’m Italian, moved to the UK in 2013, and somehow never left! 🇮🇹🇬🇧 I’ve always loved music, football, sports and cooking, and even spent three years studying Sound Engineering & Music Production. But eventually I found my true calling: dogs. They don’t complain about my cooking, they don’t ask me to change the music, and they’re always happy to see me… so really, it was an easy decision!
After working at a doggy daycare, I realised just how happy I was around animals, so I decided to change direction and dedicate myself to learning more about dogs, canine behaviour and grooming. I’ve always had a special connection with animals — we just seem to speak the same language!
I love getting to know every dog’s personality, quirks and little habits, and making sure they feel happy, safe and cared for. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to grooming, so the finishing touches matter! Basically, I swapped music and cooking for dogs… and finally found an audience that never complains. 😂
Vins
Co-Founder
I’m Italian, moved to the UK in 2013, and somehow never left! 🇮🇹🇬🇧 I’ve always loved music, football, sports and cooking, and even spent three years studying Sound Engineering & Music Production. But eventually I found my true calling: dogs. They don’t complain about my cooking, they don’t ask me to change the music, and they’re always happy to see me… so really, it was an easy decision!
After working at a doggy daycare, I realised just how happy I was around animals, so I decided to change direction and dedicate myself to learning more about dogs, canine behaviour and grooming. I’ve always had a special connection with animals — we just seem to speak the same language!
I love getting to know every dog’s personality, quirks and little habits, and making sure they feel happy, safe and cared for. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to grooming, so the finishing touches matter! Basically, I swapped music and cooking for dogs… and finally found an audience that never complains. 😂
Enrique
Dog Walker / Driver
Animals have always been a big part of my life. Since I was a child, there have always been animals around me — birds, ducklings, hamsters, little turtles, a big dog and a cat. Here in London, I have also had a Jack Russell–Chihuahua for several years.
For me, working with animals is much more of a blessing than a job. It keeps me active, both physically and mentally, and I genuinely enjoy every moment I spend with them. I especially love taking the dogs to the park and watching them run around, play and have fun together.
By walking them, playing with them and feeding them, you gradually become like a member of their family. At the same time, they become part of the PetStop family too. Building that bond and gaining their trust is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
Classical music is another one of my passions. When I am picking up or dropping off the dogs, I am listening to BBC Radio 3 in the van. Interestingly, the dogs seem to enjoy it too — perhaps they have developed a taste for classical music!
Enrique
Dog Walker / Driver
Animals have always been a big part of my life. Since I was a child, there have always been animals around me — birds, ducklings, hamsters, little turtles, a big dog and a cat. Here in London, I have also had a Jack Russell–Chihuahua for several years.
For me, working with animals is much more of a blessing than a job. It keeps me active, both physically and mentally, and I genuinely enjoy every moment I spend with them. I especially love taking the dogs to the park and watching them run around, play and have fun together.
By walking them, playing with them and feeding them, you gradually become like a member of their family. At the same time, they become part of the PetStop family too. Building that bond and gaining their trust is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
Classical music is another one of my passions. When I am picking up or dropping off the dogs, I am listening to BBC Radio 3 in the van. Interestingly, the dogs seem to enjoy it too — perhaps they have developed a taste for classical music!
Kristina
Dog Walker / Enrichment Coordinator
Hi! My name is Kristina and I have been surrounded by animals my whole life! I am vegan and an animal rights activist, and I absolutely love engaging with your companions at PetStop. They give me so much joy and energy and I strive to give them the best care in return!
Kristina
Dog Walker / Enrichment Coordinator
Hi! My name is Kristina and I have been surrounded by animals my whole life! I am vegan and an animal rights activist, and I absolutely love engaging with your companions at PetStop. They give me so much joy and energy and I strive to give them the best care in return!
Toby
Dog Walker / Driver
Hi everyone, I’m Toby. I am 22 years old and have been working with dogs since I was 18 years old.
It’s been an absolute pleasure working with so many different dogs during my time in the industry.
My favourite part of working with the doggos is getting to create an amazing bond with each and every one of them.
Growing up, I’ve always been surrounded with animals from my grandparents dogs to my own cats 🐈⬛
Alongside work I spend most of my days listening to music, playing the drums with my band mates on most weekends and riding my motorbike.
Thank you to everyone who sends your dogs to us, we are so very grateful to be a part of your dogs’ lives. 🐶🐾🦴
Toby
Dog Walker / Driver
Hi everyone, I’m Toby. I am 22 years old and have been working with dogs since I was 18 years old.
It’s been an absolute pleasure working with so many different dogs during my time in the industry.
My favourite part of working with the doggos is getting to create an amazing bond with each and every one of them.
Growing up, I’ve always been surrounded with animals from my grandparents dogs to my own cats 🐈⬛
Alongside work I spend most of my days listening to music, playing the drums with my band mates on most weekends and riding my motorbike.
Thank you to everyone who sends your dogs to us, we are so very grateful to be a part of your dogs’ lives. 🐶🐾🦴
We're hiring!
Join the Pack 🐾
Become part of the PetStop family
We're a little team that's growing! From time to time, we look for brilliant dog walkers and pet-care gurus to join us.
No vacancies right now — but keep your eyes peeled for new opportunities. 👀