Today was a really hard day.

The new restriction on the number of dogs I can walk at once has completely changed how my days flow—and not for the better. Trying to juggle client time slots with fewer dogs per walk meant I spent a lot of the day driving back and forth, often passing the same homes and green spaces multiple times. It felt inefficient, frustrating, and honestly wasteful—more petrol burned, more impact on the environment, all just to comply with rules that don’t reflect the reality of our work.

By the end of the day, I’d done around 30% more driving, earned around 30% less, and worked longer hours. That’s not sustainable for anyone. I didn’t get home until around 7pm, and with Bristol traffic being what it is, it just added another layer of exhaustion.

The dogs felt it too. Their usual dynamic was disrupted. We couldn’t do our normal group walk of five at Purdown, which they know and love. Instead, I had to take smaller groups to more local parks—places I would never usually use for walking. It’s not ideal for the dogs, and I worry it’s going to lead to more complaints as more walkers are pushed into these shared spaces.

Licence yes. 4 no.

Today left me feeling really sad. I worked incredibly hard, but it felt like I was constantly fighting against the system instead of being supported by it. It was exhausting—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Something has to give.

Thanks all