Bury St Edmunds zoo keeper and nursing couple launch We Love Pets franchise

A couple from Bury St Edmunds have decided to put their years of experience as nurses and a zoo keeper to good use to start a Bury St Edmunds branch of the franchise We Love Pets.

Tasha Hooper, 50, and Andy Zanca, 46, went live with their pet boarding and pet sitting business, We Love Pets Bury St Edmunds, at the end of January this year, with a heavy focus on pet welfare.

The couple can take in a range of family pets, as well as the more exotic reptiles and birds, at their home or can visit animals when their owners are away. They are also beginning to recruit licensed boarders so pets can stay with a family instead of a kennel.

The couple’s wide range of experience sets them aside from other pet boarding businesses out there.

"I’m an ex zoo keeper so I can do the specialist animals," said Tasha. "We look after exotics like bearded dragons and birds.

"We can also do horses and goats - not everyone can do those kinds of animals. We’re just lucky that we have that experience," she added.

Both Tasha and Andy had careers as nurses, with Andy wracking up 15 years as an emergency and trauma theatre nurse and Tasha with 22 years working within oncology and palliative care.

Aside from the medical experience, Tasha spent some time working as a horse groom and later a zoo keeper at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, while Andy, originally from Italy, grew up around gun dogs as his family were hunters.

All this experience boils down to an ethical approach with pets and the pair ensure that every animals’ wellbeing is at the forefront.

Andy said: "Our company is welfare first and is born as an alternative to kennels and day care where they have groups of dogs and pack walking.

"Our philosophy is the other way around. The maximum we do is two or three dogs. So your pet is coming to us or our licensed boarders and your pet is looked after by a family."

But for Tasha, the best part of the job is meeting all kinds of pets.

"Every now and then we’ll meet an animal which really opens up our knowledge, experience and love for animals, so that is something really special about our job."

We Love Pets Bury St Edmunds covers Bury and surrounding areas from Barrow and Lavenham across to Haughley, down to Wickhambrook, Haughley and Henny Street.

The couple’s business can be found here or they can be contacted on 07379136859.