TAILS are wagging in Chelmsford thanks to an electric-powered dog-walking service.
For The Love Of Pets, which has been taking care of people’s beloved pooches since 2011, has just taken delivery of a Nissan e-NV200 to collect animals from their homes and take them to beautiful places for exercise.
Owner Karen Read, who has named her van Ernie, also offers home visits for puppies which can’t be left alone, and pet-sitting for all animals. On average, Karen will walk up to 60 dogs a week — including her own 11-year-old black Labrador, Newton, who always joins her in her work.
“I used to drive an estate car but as the business has grown so much the time came to move up to a van, and the Nissan e-NV200 just made so much sense to me,” said Karen. “I make lots of short journeys with lots of stopping and starting and really, that’s not ideal with a conventional engine. I did a lot of research and the Nissan, with its space and the ability to put in dividers for the dogs, and its range, was the perfect choice.”
Karen has only had her new van for a few weeks but she — and her furry friends — are already feeling the benefits.
“It’s so easy to drive and being an automatic as well means less stress for me in stop-start traffic — plus I’m looking at a saving of around £1,300 a year on fuel as well. The fact the van is silent is a huge bonus too, as I look after a few noise-sensitive dogs so it reduces their stress too.
“Plus I am a complete lover of nature, so having a vehicle with zero emissions is perfect for me and the world around me.”
