- Lockdown saw a drop in demand for services offered by Hunters Lodge for cats and dogs, including doggy daycare and grooming plus boarding kennels and a cattery
- International travel stopped and working from home meant pet parents kept their cats and dogs at home, rather than using daycare, boarding kennels and the cattery
- Santander UK has supported the business with a £200k Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBILS) and six-month capital repayment holiday
Hunters Lodge, a boarding kennels and cattery based in Newport Pagnell, secured a £200k CBILS loan from Santander UK to support the business through the challenges brought about by coronavirus.
The family run business covers 22 acres and offers a range of services for cat and dog owners across Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. As lockdown and travel restrictions came into effect, Hunters Lodge faced a sharp drop in revenue practically overnight as holidays were cancelled and more people were working from home.
The £200k CBILS loan meant that Hunters Lodge could continue to trade and provide services to keyworkers who needed help to take care of pets. The business is well positioned to navigate the next 12-24 months as travel remains uncertain and working from home continues for many.
Hunters Lodge has been owned and managed by Richard Lousada and his family for more than 13 years. Richard sought a more proactive banking partner who would share the family’s ambitious vision for the growing business and in early 2019 they choose to move to Santander.
Richard Lousada, Managing Director, Hunters Lodge, said: “Our pets are part of the family, that’s why we strive to provide the best facilities and services we can for an affordable price. Our customers – both the two and four legged varieties – are extremely loyal and we’re proud of the great feedback and strong growth we’ve achieved. Coronavirus has had a big impact, but we have the right support in place through Santander and we’ll be here to keep taking care of people’s pets now and when travel picks up again.”
Stephen Clements, Relationship Director, Santander UK, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Richard to support Hunters Lodge over the last 24 months. It’s a well-established business with a strong reputation, and the management team moved quickly and effectively to deal with the impact of coronavirus.”
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For information about Hunters Lodge please visit the website here.
E: enquiries@hunterslodge.org.uk
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