Professional Dog Walkers Association
Setting the professional dog walking industry standards since 2016
-professional - verified - ethical-
Welcome to the Professional Dog Walkers Association
Festive period
Please note that our membership office will be closed
from Wednesday 11th December 2024 to Monday 6th January 2025 inclusive.
Enquiries, new subscriptions and renewals received during this period will be responded to as soon as possible after
Tuesday 7th January 2025.
Our private, members-only Facebook support group will be supported as closely to normal as possible throughout the festive period.
Thank you!
Professional Dog Walkers Association Subscription Information:
Membership includes:
Membership of PDWA professional association for 1 year
Membership levels (Individual and Additional Persons) include DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP PACK only (to help reduce our carbon footprint) and is sent by email upon completion of verification process.
You receive by email:
PDWA membership certificate
Payment receipt
Verified member site seal
Best Practice guidance
Ethical Working Practice guidance
From your members Area Account:
Download (or print) digital membership card
Copy of our Membership Best Practice guidance
Copy of our Ethical Working Practice guidance
Download dog walking business document package* comprising:
Business planning, preparation, simple book-keeping:
Client paperwork:
Miscellaneous:
Administration / house keeping:
*The document package is Microsoft Word or Excel files / format. You will need Microsoft software installed on your system (Microsoft Office or Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel) to run these documents.
Access to our online exclusive forum, chat to other businesses for business advice / information or just general chat with like minded folk
Use of PDWA "Verified Member" logo on your letter heads / websites (please do not use anyother logo)
Web site listing on our Find Me A Dog Walker/Directory page
Discount codes and/or referrals for online professional training and development courses; business insurance; vehicle insurance; poop bags
Download informative Infographics to support your business
Paper copy membership pack (including verified member vehicle decal) is available to purchase at additional cost - see check out. Pack will be posted after completion of verification process.
Verified member vehical decal only are available to purchase to purchase at additional cost - see check out. Decals will be posted after completion of verification process.
PDWA Membership subscription checkout: we accept PayPal, all major debit/credit cards, bank transfer, direct debit*. Our direct debit provider is Go Cardless Ltd, with payment spread over 10 months on or around the 20th of each month. Please select Bank Transfer / Direct Debit option and confirm your payment method in the Notes box at checkout. Bank details and direct debit registration information will be noted on your payment receipt for your immediate action.
*Direct Debit facility can only accepted with a membership subscription (plus paper membership pack / vehicle decal if purchased). We are very sorry but we cannot accept a direct debit facility for a stand alone membership pack or vehicle decal. Thank you for understanding.
Please note - the application process:
New members:
Once we have received full payment or confirmation that your direct debit mandate has been registered, your Initial Members Area account will be created; activation and log in links will be emailed to you, usually within 1-3 working days, you may email your verification documents to us any time after payment has been made.
Your status will be labelled as "Application for..." and/or "application pending" until your membership application process is complete. Once the verification process is complete your account will be upgraded to Full Member status.
All membership applications are individually approved and this element of the applicaton may take up to 15 working days. We have a two tier application system:
1. Application form:
Once your Members Area account has been activated, log in, click Edit Profile and complete the online application form. Please respond to and answer ALL declarations and questions.
The membership application form gives us insight in to how you work or intend to work and your understanding of risk assessments, canine behaviour and scenarios. Your responses will contribute directly to your membership application. Please note that we retain the right to request further information or request that applications are resubmitted in full or decline an application outright**.
Please let us know when you have completed your application form.
2. We need to see evidence of the following documents:
Business insurance (plus employers’ liability insurance if you have any helpers/volunteers or employees)
plus any one of
HMRC acknowledgement that you are self-employed (Unique Tax Reference / UTR)
Or
Letter of confirmation of the same from your accountant
Or
Disclosure service verification if you have not yet registered with HMRC
Or
Certificate of incorporation if you are a limited company; Or HMRC PAYE reference number.
We retain the right to either request further information or decline applications if we feel your business and our ethos do not align.
Renewing members:
We need to see a minimum of 3 client feedback forms, review of insurance status and application form as detailed above. Further information and forms are available to view / download in your Members Area account.
If you wish to you join this association you understand and accept:
**We reserve the right to decline a membership application if we believe our mutual values do not match. Please take care to read and understand our Terms & Conditions of Membership and Best Practice before continuing with your application.
Our organisation Constitution, Terms & Conditions of Membership and Best Practice are at the heart of our being, as we strive toward an industry standard and are our rules of membership. We are lobbying for industry regulation. An integral part of this is for a maximum of 4 dogs to be walked at any one time by one person:
Click the links to view, save or print:
Click here to view each of the following:
Terms & Conditions of Membership
For our own credibility and integrity, we are unable to ignore working practices that we feel fall below the standard we have set. For clarity, should any member not work to this standard then this is considered a breach of our membership terms and conditions and would request that any one considering joining should seriously consider whether membership with this organisation is the correct one for them.