Former soldier from Featherstone nominated for Animal Star Award for his work as a pet taxi driver in Pontefract and Wakefield
Chris Dancey, a former paratrooper based in Featherstone, has been nominated for an Animal Star Award for his work as a pet taxi driver in Wakefield and Pontefract.
Originally from Cleethorpes and now based in Featherstone, the 52-year-old took on the pet taxi driver role with Pets 2 Places about 11 months ago after seeing pet owners in his local area struggle with animal transport.
Chris said owners – particularly the elderly or those with disabilities – can often struggle to get to vet appointments due to the restrictions some taxi businesses carry around company policy, pet hair, or noise.
Chris has also been nominated for an Animal Star Award by his customers, and has been entered for the Best Pet Service 2024 category.
Chris said he was humbled by the comments his customers leave him, and was particularly happy to have been nominated by those customers only several months into his new business.
He said: “I already feel like I have won just being nominated.
"It is definitely an achievement and it is really nice that I have been recognised [...] I didn’t expect anything.
"Starting a business in an industry I have never been in before and people like it, which makes me even happier.”
Day to day, Chris covers the Wakefield and Pontefract area, transporting pets to vet appointments, or to and from dog kennels.
His role can also take him all over the UK, however, such as collecting pets from Heathrow Airport, or once driving to Plymouth at 3am to rescue two Labradors who were due to be put to sleep.
Once while transporting a French Bulldog from Pontefract to a vet surgery in Morley, Chris said he had to pull over to help the dog deliver eight puppies, two of which were sadly stillborn but six were delivered safely.
Chris also supports pet owners through more difficult moments, such as “put to sleep” appointments.
Chris said he aims to reduce the pets’ and owners’ stress as much as possible, ensuring the animal is comfortable in the car and even sometimes attending the appointment with the owner.