We built UrPetPals because UK pet owners deserved better.
The big pet care platforms were built for America, priced for corporations, and designed to extract as much as possible from both sides. We built something different. Something fair. Something British.
The problem we set out to fix
Adam de Fonseka had the same experience most UK dog owners have. He needed a dog walker he could trust — someone local, someone reliable, someone whose reviews he could actually verify. The big platforms existed, but they were American companies that had bolted a UK flag onto a US product.
Rover charges providers 40% commission. Not 40% of a small amount — 40% of every single booking, forever. A dog walker doing 5 walks a day, 5 days a week, at £25 per walk loses over £6,000 per year to commission alone. For no good reason.
Meanwhile, pet owners were paying premium prices with no live tracking, no guaranteed availability, and no real accountability if something went wrong.
That's the gap UrPetPals was built to close. A marketplace that's genuinely fair — to the walkers who do the work and the owners who are trusting strangers with their animals.
I wanted to trust someone with my dog and couldn't find a platform that made me feel like it had my back. So we built one.
How we got here
The frustration builds
Adam de Fonseka — founder, dog owner, Runcorn local — kept hitting the same wall. No reliable dog walkers nearby. The big platforms were US-centric, expensive, and complicated. He couldn't be the only one with this problem.
The idea becomes a plan
Adam mapped out what the perfect UK pet care platform would look like. On-demand availability. Verified providers. Live GPS. Fair pay for walkers. No fluff. He brought in Chris Leonard as Chief Digital Officer to build it.
UrPetPals goes live
After weeks of late nights, UrPetPals launched its full platform — booking flow, provider onboarding, live GPS tracking, photo updates, and Stripe payments. All live, all tested, all ready.
Provider Blitz begins
The first providers start joining in Runcorn and Warrington. The marketplace is live. Real pet owners are booking. The mission is underway — and there's no stopping now.
What we stand for
These aren't marketing words. They're the decisions we make every day.
Pets First
Every decision we make starts with one question: is this good for the animals? Their safety and wellbeing isn't a checkbox — it's the whole point.
Radical Transparency
No hidden fees. No confusing commission structures. Every pet owner sees exactly what they pay. Every provider sees exactly what they keep. No surprises.
Fair for Providers
Dog walkers work hard. They deserve to keep more of what they earn. 82% is our ongoing rate — vs 60% on Rover. The first 10 bookings are completely free.
Built for Britain
Rover was built for America, then shipped over here. UrPetPals was built for the UK from day one — UK pricing, UK laws, UK culture, UK support.
On-Demand or Advance
Some days you need a walker in an hour. Some days you plan a month ahead. UrPetPals handles both — no rigid booking windows, no forcing you to commit early.
Trust at Every Step
ID-verified providers. Live GPS on every walk. Photo updates mid-walk. Stripe-secured payments. We've removed every reason not to trust who's caring for your pet.
Who's behind it
A small, focused team obsessed with getting this right.
Adam de Fonseka
Runcorn-based dog owner who got fed up with overpriced, under-delivering pet care platforms. Decided to build the one he actually wanted to use.
Chris Leonard
Technology and operations lead. Building the platform infrastructure, product roadmap, and growth systems that power UrPetPals.
We're a small, focused team — but we're growing fast. Get in touch if you want to be part of the mission.
Not a US import. Not an afterthought.
Rover started in Seattle in 2011. It wasn't designed for UK cities, UK pricing, UK employment law, or UK pet culture. It was adapted — imperfectly — for a market it was never built for.
UrPetPals was designed with British postcodes, British weather, British working hours, and British pet owners in mind from the very first line of code.
UK-based support. UK-compliant pricing. UK-focused provider recruitment. This is not a side project — this is the whole point.
Join the mission.
Whether you're a pet owner looking for someone you can trust, or a dog walker tired of giving 40% to Rover — UrPetPals is for you.
Questions? Get in touch — we actually reply.