Behind the Brand: The Animal People Recruitment Company

From a pandemic-era leap of faith to becoming a Platinum Business Patron of Birmingham Dogs Home, The Animal People has built more than a recruitment business, it's built a genuine community within the pet and animal health industries.

Ahead of PATS 2026, we sat down with the team to talk about the journey from concept to reality, the challenges of scaling a specialist recruitment brand, and why every successful hire helps a dog in need. We also look ahead to their next big move: the launch of The Animal People USA.

1. How did your business transition from a concept to a reality, and how long did that journey take?

The Animal People is genuinely a dream come true for me.

Before launching the business, I had spent more than 13 years working in recruitment and the best part of ten years specialising in the veterinary, animal health and pet industries. When Covid happened, like many people, I took the opportunity to reevaluate my life, my career and what I wanted the next chapter to look like.

Throughout my career, I have always approached recruitment with the same ethics: act with integrity, look after people on both sides of the process and do the right thing, even when it isn’t the easiest or most profitable option. It might sound corny, but I have never been motivated purely by money. I am motivated by helping people, improving businesses and delivering work I can be proud of.

When I decided it was time to create something of my own, I contacted my former boss and longstanding friend, Sarah Grace. Sarah had already built an incredibly successful recruitment company, which is still thriving more than 25 years later. She had the operational knowledge, infrastructure and experience required to build a successful recruitment business from scratch. I brought the specialist industry knowledge, relationships, audience and an enormous amount of passion.

Once we made the decision, everything happened incredibly quickly, and The Animal People launched in July 2021. However, although the company itself came together quickly, in many ways I had been building towards it throughout my entire working life. Every role, risk, relationship and experience had contributed to the recruiter and business owner I was becoming.

Since then, the transition from concept to reality has been extraordinary. We have built a brilliant team, made hundreds of hires, travelled internationally, opened our Birmingham office, invested continuously in the company and generated significant support for charity.

There have been risks, lessons and moments when I had no idea what certain aspects of running a company involved! I didn’t even know how to open a business bank account! Having Sarah beside me, shoulder to shoulder, throughout every stage has been invaluable. Without her, The Animal People simply would not be what it is today, and I will always be enormously grateful for that.

2. What was the single biggest hurdle your brand faced during its early stages?

Honestly, one of our biggest early challenges was keeping up with the demand.

I had spent the best part of a decade building a network, an audience and a trusted voice across the pet, animal health and veterinary industries. When we launched The Animal People, the response was phenomenal. Requests came flying in from businesses that already knew me, had followed my work or had been introduced through recommendations.

Our challenge wasn’t convincing people to work with us it was making sure we had the capacity to deliver the standard of service they expected without letting anybody down.

We were fortunate to be able to draw upon the infrastructure and resources of Sarah’s established recruitment business, but it became clear very quickly that we needed to grow our own team. We employed Katie, who joined us during those early stages and has since become a huge part of our success.

Personally, I also had to learn the difference between being an excellent recruiter and running an excellent recruitment business. Delivering for clients was something I knew inside out. Finance, operations, systems, infrastructure and everything else that happens behind the scenes were new disciplines for me.

That was where Sarah’s experience was so important. Together, we combined specialist recruitment expertise with the operational foundations needed to build a sustainable business.

3. Growth brings new goals. What is the primary challenge your business is navigating today?

One of the biggest challenges facing specialist recruitment businesses today is the belief among some employers that they can achieve the same results by managing recruitment entirely themselves.

Technology and AI have undoubtedly created useful tools, but they have not replaced the need for human judgement, specialist knowledge, honest communication and proper candidate care. In fact, we are increasingly hearing from candidates who have applied directly to businesses and received no acknowledgement, no meaningful feedback and very little support.

That doesn’t just create a poor candidate experience. It damages the employer’s brand, causes businesses to miss talented people and can ultimately lead to strong candidates rejecting offers.

We are now a team of seven—soon to be eight—experienced recruitment professionals. Collectively, we have spent our careers building networks, understanding markets, assessing people and learning how to manage successful hiring processes. A database or an AI tool cannot replicate those relationships, that judgement or the ability to understand what somebody is capable of beyond the words on their CV.

We invest heavily in the best recruitment technology, advertising platforms and professional networks available. We are also proud members of TEAM, the UK’s largest network of independent recruiters, with Sarah serving as a Regional Director for the Midlands. That gives our clients access not only to our specialist community but to a much wider recruitment network.

Delivering recruitment properly requires expertise, time and investment. Like every business in the UK, we are also navigating increasing costs and wider commercial pressures. Business owners rarely have as easy a time as people might imagine; running a responsible company and continuing to invest in the best people and resources comes at a significant cost.

Another important step has been creating greater in-person connection for a team that was previously predominantly remote. Opening our Birmingham office and developing a genuinely hybrid way of working has helped us collaborate more closely while supporting the connection and wellbeing of our team.

4. Which success story or aspect of your brand are you most proud of so far?

I am immensely proud that we have built The Animal People from scratch and created a brand that is making these industries better.

Part of that means bringing talented people into the sector from different industries, experiences and backgrounds. Last year, 60% of the candidates we placed into sales roles came from outside the industry. That matters because businesses need different experiences and viewpoints if they want to understand and serve the increasingly diverse communities of pet owners they are trying to reach.

I am also extremely proud of our relationship with the Pet Industry Federation, our continued position as a Headline Sponsor of the PIF Awards and our sponsorship of the Newcomer of the Year Award. Celebrating people who are bringing fresh ideas and energy into our industry feels completely aligned with what we stand for.

Another personal milestone has been taking my talk, “Your Hiring Process Is Your Brand,” to audiences around the country, both in person and online. I want businesses to understand that recruitment is not an isolated transaction. Every application, interview and piece of feedback shapes how somebody feels about a company—and whether they will buy from, recommend or work for that brand in the future.

However, the achievement closest to my heart is our partnership with Birmingham Dogs Home.

From the very beginning, we committed to making a donation every time we placed a candidate into a new role. We could have kept that money in the business, but we wanted every successful hire to create an additional positive impact. Today, The Animal People is a Platinum Business Patron of Birmingham Dogs Home, and our support has allowed me to become increasingly involved with the charity as an official ambassador.

I have judged dog shows, appeared in Christmas campaigns, represented the charity at networking events and exhibitions, and experienced a real pinch-me moment sitting in the Houses of Parliament with APDAWG to discuss animal welfare.

At PATS last year, we gave the majority of our exhibition space to Birmingham Dogs Home and introduced the charity to businesses throughout the pet industry. Across the three days, those relationships helped secure more than £45,000 worth of donated products.

Knowing that we are helping people build their careers, helping businesses grow and helping dogs in need through every placement is something I will always be incredibly proud of.

5. Where does your team look for fresh inspiration and new ideas?

Trade shows are one of our greatest sources of inspiration.

People sometimes assume recruiters attend exhibitions simply to generate new business. Of course, we want to meet potential clients, but we are also there to listen, learn and absorb what is happening across the industries we represent.

We have been fortunate to attend and speak at events in the UK and internationally. Nothing replaces meeting founders and business leaders face-to-face, hearing the stories behind their companies and seeing their passion for products and services that improve the lives of animals and their owners.

Walking a trade floor allows us to touch and experience new products, identify emerging trends and understand where businesses are heading. That knowledge makes us better recruiters because we can speak credibly about the market, recognise transferable skills and advise clients and candidates from a properly informed position.

We also listen to industry podcasts and host our own, Meet the Animal People, where guests share the real stories behind their careers in animal related industries.

Most importantly, we learn from one another. We have deliberately built a team of people with different experiences, perspectives and personalities. When we come together and work collaboratively, everybody brings something unique to the table and that constantly challenges us to think differently and improve.

6. How did you first discover PATS, and why is being part of this specific community important for your brand?

I first attended PATS many years ago, long before The Animal People existed, and it has remained an important meeting point for the pet industry ever since.

What makes the show special is the quality of the community it brings together. It is a place where people can reconnect, build proper relationships, learn from one another and do good business. For the most part, the pet industry is filled with genuinely good people who care deeply about what they do and I have always believed that good people do good business.

That alignment matters to us. We want to work with honest, kind and responsible people whose values reflect our own. PATS gives us the opportunity to spend time with those people, understand their businesses properly and remain connected to the industry we represent.

Its move to Birmingham has made it even more special. Birmingham is our home: it is where The Animal People was founded and where our office is now based. Whether we are Brummies by birth or honorary Brummies, we are incredibly proud of that connection.

We return every year not only to develop relationships, but to learn, contribute and support the wider community. It feels much bigger than simply attending another trade show.

7. What can visitors expect when they visit your stand?

Visitors can expect to meet the fantastic team behind The Animal People and have an honest, down-to-earth conversation about recruitment, people, strategy and growth.

We are genuine specialists in the pet and animal health industries. We understand the roles we recruit for, the markets our clients operate within and the people who make these businesses successful.

Our service goes far beyond sending CVs. We headhunt and advertise, represent our clients properly in the market, access specialist networks, advise on salaries and job descriptions, manage candidate communication and create a shortlist of people who have been thoroughly assessed against the role, business and culture.

We care deeply about getting results but also about how those results are achieved. We are not stereotypical, transactional recruiters, and we certainly don’t believe in shoehorning people into jobs. We are Specialist, Honest, Kind and Inclusive, and we work hard to protect the reputations of the businesses that trust us.

Our belief is simple: Your Hiring Process Is Your Brand. When recruitment is handled properly, even an unsuccessful candidate can leave with greater respect for a company. We know this because candidates have gone on to become customers of our clients simply because of the experience we created for them.

We are also delighted to welcome Birmingham Dogs Home back onto our stand. Visitors will be able to learn about the charity, meet some of its rescue dogs and discover how individuals and businesses can get involved. There will also be activities and plenty of opportunities to support its work.

If you want advice about hiring, your career, people strategy or business growth or you simply want to meet some brilliant rescue dogs please come and see us. And remember: every person you hire through The Animal People helps a dog in need.

8. Looking beyond this show, how do you see your brand evolving over the next 18 months?

We want to continue the incredibly positive trajectory we are already on while remaining true to the values and personal service that built our reputation.

Our biggest next step is the launch of The Animal People USA. In October, a new Recruitment Partner will join our team specifically to spearhead our US division.

We have been inundated with enquiries from American businesses looking for support with their hiring, as well as candidates asking us to help them find their next opportunity stateside. We have supported some US recruitment previously, but this appointment represents a full and deliberate investment in that market.

Over the last five years, I have visited the United States several times, spoken at SuperZoo and Global Pet Expo and spent countless hours walking the trade floors, building relationships and understanding the American pet industry. It is enormously exciting to turn those foundations into a dedicated division that can help more people and businesses across the country.

Alongside our US expansion, we will continue strengthening our work across the UK and Europe and developing our specialisms within the pet and animal health industries

Ultimately, I see us doing more good: helping more people build fulfilling careers, helping more businesses make exceptional hires and helping more animals through the success we create.

We have ambitious plans, but growth for growth’s sake has never been the goal. We want The Animal People to become the global recruitment partner these industries trust while remaining specialist, honest, kind, inclusive and unmistakably us.

Want to hear more, or just meet some brilliant rescue dogs along the way? The Animal People will be on Stand C1 at PATS 2026, alongside Birmingham Dogs Home, ready to talk hiring, careers, and everything in between.