About Us / Meet The Team

Sam Payne founded Payne’s Pet Care Limited in 2014 with a single van and a clear mission: to provide professional, reliable and genuinely caring animal care within the local community. What began as a small, one person business has since grown into a multi award winning company with a dedicated team of seven and a fleet of three vans, serving pets throughout Caterham and the surrounding areas.

With extensive hands on experience caring for animals of all breeds, sizes and temperaments, Sam has built a wealth of knowledge across a wide variety of species. Her expertise goes well beyond dogs and cats, encompassing horses, farm animals and many other domestic and companion animals.

Animals have always been at the centre of Sam’s life. A lifelong Caterham resident, she has lived in the area all her life and always had cats as part of her family. She currently shares her home with four cats and has previously owned guinea pigs and a much loved horse named Tucker. While Sam loves all species, she has a particular fondness for dogs, especially Newfoundlands and Golden Retrievers.

Sam’s philosophy is simple: every animal deserves to be treated with patience, kindness, respect and genuine care. Her years of experience, deep passion for animal welfare and strong connection to the local community have helped Payne’s Pet Care grow into the trusted, professional service it is today. From those early days with one van in 2014 to leading a team of seven, Sam remains at the heart of the business and continues to be actively involved in delivering the high standard of care the company was built upon.

Sophie Marie Payne has been a valued member of the Payne’s Pet Care team for many years, bringing extensive hands on experience, a lifelong passion for animals and a particular interest in dog training and behaviour.

Having grown up surrounded by animals, Sophie has always had a natural understanding and respect for animal care. Throughout her life she has shared her home with a wide variety of animals, including German Shepherds, cats, horses, reptiles, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish. This broad experience has given her an excellent understanding of the different needs, personalities and behaviours of many species.

Sophie is a qualified, licensed and insured Dog Training & Behaviour Instructor with the ADTB, and works closely with clients through Payne’s Pet Care and her own specialist service, SMP Training & Behaviour. She has experience working with dogs of all breeds, ages and temperaments, including puppies, adolescent dogs and dogs experiencing behavioural challenges.

Her particular areas of interest include canine communication, behaviour, reactivity, anxiety, socialisation and helping owners build a stronger and more positive relationship with their dogs. Sophie believes in a balanced approach to training, with positive reinforcement at the heart of helping dogs feel safe, loved, happy and respected.

Alongside her dog training and behaviour work, Sophie has extensive practical experience caring for animals and has a particular knowledge of brachycephalic breeds, horses and reptiles. Passionate about animal welfare, she takes pride in providing knowledgeable, compassionate and professional care to every animal she works with. For Sophie, caring for animals is not simply a job, it has been a lifelong passion.

Mandy Jellows is a long standing and trusted member of the Payne’s Pet Care team, bringing years of experience, reliability and genuine care to the animals she looks after.

Mandy has a natural love for animals and takes great pride in ensuring every pet in her care is treated as an individual. Whether she is out walking dogs, visiting pets in their homes or helping with their day to day needs, Mandy approaches every animal with patience, kindness and professionalism.

As well as her practical experience within pet care, Mandy is qualified in both pet first aid and human first aid, giving owners additional reassurance that their animals are being cared for by someone who understands how to respond calmly and appropriately should an unexpected situation arise.

Mandy is particularly valued for her dependable nature and her ability to build strong relationships with both animals and their owners.

She understands that leaving a beloved pet in someone else’s care requires trust, and she works hard to provide the same level of attention and care that she would want for her own animals. As part of the Payne’s Pet Care team, Mandy plays an important role in maintaining the company’s high standards of professional, compassionate and reliable animal care.

Nicola Swinden is a valued volunteer and much loved member of the Payne’s Pet Care team. She originally joined while walking her own dogs and quickly became a familiar, well loved face to both the team and the dogs.

Nicola has a natural ability to connect with animals. The dogs seem to be drawn to her wherever she goes, and it is easy to see why. Warm, kind, patient and incredibly caring, Nicola has a huge amount of love to give and treats every dog as though they were her own.

She has a wonderfully friendly and approachable personality and is often described as the “fun auntie” of the dog walking team, the person the dogs are always excited to see and naturally gravitate towards.

Whether she is out walking, giving a dog some extra attention, having a play or simply enjoying their company, Nicola brings enthusiasm and genuine affection to everything she does.

Behind her fun and friendly personality, Nicola is also highly responsible and professional. She understands the importance of safe, attentive and respectful animal care and takes the responsibility of looking after the dogs seriously. She is observant, dependable and always mindful of each dog’s individual personality, needs and comfort.

Nicola is also a people person and is never short of a friendly conversation. She loves having a good chit chat with clients, getting to know the people behind the pets and making everyone feel welcome. Her approachable nature helps create the friendly, community focused atmosphere that Payne’s Pet Care is known for.

Nicola may be a volunteer, but she is very much part of the Payne’s Pet Care family and plays an important role in making sure the dogs in care receive plenty of attention, affection and, of course, a little bit of fun along the way.

Sophie, affectionately known as Joan, is the youngest member of the Payne’s Pet Care team and has quickly become a valued part of the company. With a genuine love for animals and a keen interest in developing her knowledge, Sophie is studying dog training alongside her practical experience with Payne’s Pet Care and SMP Training & Behaviour.

Working as part of an experienced team gives her the opportunity to gain hands on experience with dogs of different breeds, ages, personalities and needs. She is developing her understanding of canine behaviour, communication, training and responsible animal care while learning directly from experienced team members.

Sophie approaches every animal with enthusiasm, patience and kindness. She understands that every pet is different and is committed to learning how to provide care that suits each individual animal. As well as her growing knowledge of dogs, Sophie is passionate about animals generally and enjoys being part of a team where animal welfare and high standards of care are at the centre of everything they do.

Sophie’s continued training and practical experience reflect Payne’s Pet Care’s commitment to developing knowledgeable, caring animal professionals and maintaining a high standard of service for every client.