The history of “4Paws” dates back to 2006 when I – Kristīne Leja, the company’s owner and manager – registered my pet sitting service in the Register of Enterprises with the original name “Dod man ķepu!” (Give me paw!)).
I have always had a special connection to animals and I have taken delight in their presence as long as I remember myself. In our home, we had a cat, a dog, birds and fish. I spent my school breaks and summers in the countryside, taking care of larger and smaller animals. Becoming a veterinarian, just like my cousin Anna (Anna Zālīte, the owner and veterinarian at the Pārgauja veterinary clinic in Valmiera), was my childhood dream.
Then a question came to my mind: where do people leave their pets when they go on a vacation or take a business trip? I started to pet sit my friends’ and relatives’ pets and realized that my hobby could turn into a gainful occupation.
The beginning was not easy. I had to figure out everything by myself as this kind of service was unique in Latvia. I was the first to localize such popular terms from English into Latvian as pet sitting service, dog walking service, pet hotel in a home environment, private pet hotel, pet sitter or pet nanny, and dog daycare.
In 2008, I created the homepage www.zoodraugs.lv.
Later, in 2012, the demand for pet sitting services increased and I enrolled more people in my team – my colleagues Estere and Daina, with whom I cooperate to this day.
In 2019, I decided to change the name of the homepage from zoodraugs.lv to 4paws.lv. I also modified and updated the logo and the homepage.
Today, we are a small, but a very friendly team. Several new colleagues, including dog trainers and a professional photographer, have joined our team.
There is a growing demand for pet sitting services as pet owners realize that it is more safe and convenient to trust their pets to animal experts who will ensure suitable environment for pets and will take better care of them than neighbours, friends or acquaintances.
