The website was developed by Loren Johns, who was first inspired to create the website from her experiences bringing up her own dog, Talulah.
Loren got Talulah in October 2021 and immediately found it tricky to know where to find the services she needed.
“I’ve had lots of pets over the years, and had pets growing up but in Jersey I found it really difficult to find a dog walker,” she explained. “Talulah is an anxious dog and she needed extra training… There’s just no easy way to find help.”
Pictured: Talulah, the inspiration behind Petspace.
“We have lots of great communities of Facebook, but if you need something, you have to scroll through all sorts. I found the whole process very difficult. I had no idea how to go about finding a vet, or even about things like paying GST on your pet if you’re bringing them into the Island. There was nothing in Jersey that centralises all the information.”
In setting up Petspace, Loren’s goal was very clear.
She said: “I wanted to do something for the pet owning community and centralise everything. I want to help make owning pets as easy as possible.”
The aim of the website is to provide a massive directory for everything a pet owner could possibly want, helping to connect pet owners with pet carers as well as providing access to useful information – ranging from rules and regulations to lists of vets and pet-friendly pubs.
“It the Yellow Pages for pets!” said Loren.
Pictured: The PetSpace home page.
As well as providing their information, the website also allows users to communicate with the business and make any bookings.
After working on the website for over a year, Loren finally decided to launch pet space this December.
So far, Loren has 21 businesses signed up, and the online directory continues to grow. The website is in its early stages, and Loren is working to improve the site based on the feedback given. Given time, she might even look to expand the site to Guernsey.
She said: “I just want to make everyone’s lives easier.”