Franchisee story · We Love Pets Cambridge

From corporate life to freedom with pets

How Gabby and Dave built a business around family.

Gabby and Dave of We Love Pets Cambridge outdoors with their dogs

Previous careers

Senior project manager and 37 years in rail

Joined

August 2021

Branch

We Love Pets Cambridge

Monthly turnover

£8,000–£9,000

Gabby and Dave's story

Life felt relentless with long hours and exhausting schedules

When Gabby and Dave first considered joining We Love Pets, life felt relentless.

Dave had spent 37 years working shifts in the railway industry, juggling exhausting day and night schedules. Gabby was thriving in a senior corporate project management role, but the long hours, pressure and constant demands left little room for family life.

With two young children to raise, they reached a point where they asked themselves an important question: "Is this really how we want to live?"

They knew something needed to change

Although both loved animals, neither came from a pet care background. In fact, on paper, they couldn’t have seemed less likely to run a pet care business. But what they did have were highly transferable skills: organisation, people management, problem-solving and resilience.

Once their children were both in full-time school, the timing finally felt right.

In August 2021, they took the leap and launched We Love Pets Cambridge.

Their only regret was not doing it sooner

In the early days, Gabby continued working in her senior corporate role while helping to build the business around family life. But demand grew quickly. Very quickly.

Within months, it became clear that the business needed both of them fully involved. Gabby stepped away from corporate life to focus on growing the branch, while Dave concentrated on customers, pets and day-to-day operations.

Finding their perfect balance

Together, they found a rhythm that played to both their strengths.

Gabby manages much of the behind-the-scenes organisation, operations and planning, while Dave thrives out in the field, building relationships with customers and delivering exceptional care.

That balance has helped them grow a thriving business, so much so that they’ve already had to recruit additional team members to support increasing demand.

Gabby says:

“When we launched, I continued working in my Senior Project Manager role for around six months. We became busy quickly and realised my time was needed in the business so Dave could focus on our customers and staff.”

“My previous career taught me how to stay organised, work with lots of different people and expect the unexpected, all skills that now help enormously in the business because no two days are ever the same.”

The business has given us so much more flexibility for family life

But for Gabby and Dave, success isn’t just about turnover.

It’s about freedom, flexibility and family.

“Stepping away from corporate life was a risk for us, but a risk worth taking. The business has given us so much more flexibility for family life, something we simply didn’t have before.”

Their children have even become inspired by the business. Gabby laughs as she recalls one particularly proud moment:

“Our daughter had a school day where she had to dress as something linked to a hobby or interest, and she dressed up as a We Love Pets pet carer.”

For Gabby and Dave, We Love Pets didn’t just provide a business opportunity.

It gave them a better way of life.