25 years more than 100,000 bookings! Happy Birthday Animal Aunts!

27th June 2012 by Gillie McNicol

Who would have thought it ?  My Mother said I should “get a proper job” when I was housesitting all those years ago in 1987 and launched Animal Aunts on the 27th June. I remained on the road  and running the business at the same time for the first couple of years. The very first Aunt I ever interviewed was Auntie Janet  who is still an Aunt today! Many of the Aunts have been with us  for over 10 years, some for the full 25! We have become friends with so many of our Aunts and Clients, past and present both here and abroad. We have seen many many animals right the way through their lives  and shared the sadness with our Clients when they reach the end.

I started with a small red card index box of Client’s details on the front and bookings on the back. This extended slowly to a drawer of cards and by the end of the fifth year there were three card index cabinets with literally thousands of cards! I clung on to the card index cards like a security blanket long after the computer had completely taken over in 1992  and then we had a huge ceremonial burning , after all who trusted computers in 1992?!

Five years ago, we had an amazing party to celebrate our 20 years, about 200 Aunts came and joined in the fun. We had Human Table Football, a Hog Roast, Water slides, coconut shies and loads of other food and drink We started at midday and I finally went to bed at about 3 in the morning! We had hoped to do another big party for our 25th this month, but times are hard and we decided to wait and celebrate our 30 year Anniversary instead!

Over the past 25 years we have looked after such a vast variety of animals and houses, we have sent Aunts to house and pet sit in all parts of the UK, all over Europe, to the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand!

Huge thanks to all of our Aunts for the wonderful job they do and to all of our Clients, so many of whom have been with us since the very beginning!    Thanks also to the office teams who have helped over the years, Fiona , Ann, Anna, Sarah, Roger, Anne-Louise, Kathryn who worked at various times in the office in the earlier years and now to Maggie, Gill, Donna and Kate, the current team who are utterly wonderful! Not forgetting our lovely Geraldine, of course who has mothered us and looked after us all for well over ten years.

I would also like to  say a massive thank you to my Mother, Pam McNicol who designed our fantastic logo  all those years ago as well as designing every Christmas card since!

Here’s to the next 25 years !