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Catch up on the latest Made in Kent episode with Jay Blakesly
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00:17Hello and welcome to Made in Kent live here on KNTV where we explore the world of businesses
00:22and creators throughout the county. I'm Jay Blakeslee and today we're delving into the
00:27animal world by exploring pet friendly and animal focused businesses here in Kent. First this week
00:33our reporter Chloe Smith went down to Pawfest, a local dog festival focused on building community
00:37and featuring independent businesses from across the country. Let's take a look. Festivals are a
00:43great way to explore and showcase local independent businesses and dog festivals are no exception.
00:48We met some positively adorable pups and their owners to see how they've been enjoying the
00:52festivities. This is Dudley. He's a three-year-old golden retriever. He was shown golden rather than
01:02working golden but he's still very high energy. All golden retrievers, he's lovely. We bring him
01:08the socialization, we don't live far away. Get an idea of what the different trade stands have got,
01:13different things like that. It's really interesting. It's brilliant for him. It's good for us as well,
01:18I guess it's out and about. This is Jack. He's 13 and it's a bichon free day. It's our first
01:23time and
01:23we thought it would be fun but he's tried to search and rescue and because he's got cataracts he couldn't
01:29find it. Welcome to Pawfest 2026 hosted here in Bettshanger Country Park in Zeal where tales wag,
01:36hearts fond and memories are made. We spoke with the founder Stacy about what makes Pawfest stand out.
01:41The biggest thing about Pawfest is that we are very welfare centric so it's really really important to me
01:48every dog that comes to the festival enjoys himself. They're not stressed. There's plenty
01:53of room here. We've got over 300 acres so if any other dogs are feeling stressed or they need to
01:57decompress they can go into our anxious zone which is specifically for dogs that might be a bit anxious
02:03or a little bit overwhelmed. But we would like to be a platform not only to be a dog community
02:08but also
02:08for education, helping people that are potentially buying new puppies and knowing what they're buying,
02:14nutrition, veterinary etc. So we'd like to be not only a community but a platform to help dog owners
02:19as well. We spoke with Matt and Sarah Jones about their business My Anxious Dog and how they support
02:24and advocate for reactive or nervous dogs. So we've been doing shows for a long time. People say you
02:30shouldn't encourage people to come with an anxious or reactive dog. They come anyway. So it's just a safe
02:36space where people can come and have their lunch out of the way, feel safe. If you look around here
02:43any one of these dogs could be anxious or reactive. Now if you wear one bit of yellow that'll go
02:49ah okay
02:49these people might need space. I think people don't quite understand what an anxious dog is. Because a
02:56lot of people think that a dog with yellow on that needs space is always an aggressive dog and it's
03:02not.
03:02It's also acceptance of what your dog is instead of trying to change it or force something to just
03:09let it be and just accept it. Chloe Smith for KMTV. Deal.
03:16Now you may be used to visiting your local bakery for pastry, loaves of bread or any manner
03:21of baked goods. But do you know who else deserves a professionally made specialty sweet treat?
03:26Your dog. Well our reporter Joel Fletcher talked to the owner of J&B Bakery,
03:31a Sittingbourne based mobile dog treat business, to learn more about their work and what they do.
03:35Let's see what he found out. According to Grandview Research, the UK pet food market is the third
03:40largest in the world as of 2024 and continues to grow. With awareness for pet health and well-being
03:45increasing, there has been an evident shift towards premium and organic pet food products,
03:50the likes of which can be found at a dog bakery. We bake all of our handmade treats ourselves.
03:57They're all natural, all fresh ingredients, so we just want to reach as many dogs out there as
04:03possible. So Monday to Friday is predominantly me baking. I've got my own little cabin in my back
04:09garden which I've not long finished building. So yeah, baking, packaging during the week and then
04:16Saturdays and Sundays we're normally off to markets and shows. UK pet food says that dogs are the nation's
04:23favourite pet, with 41% of households owning one in 2026. So predominantly we go to events,
04:30we go to events all over the southeast in Kent, East Sussex, pop-up markets. We also sell online.
04:39We wholesale to a lot of farm shops, dog-friendly cafes, etc. So yeah, mainly them free places.
04:48Every time we do a show, we find that orders spike from that area. So it's really nice to see
04:54that people
04:55buy our treats from shows and then go on to order from us online. I think that, you know,
05:01dogs are like, well, they're part of the family, aren't they? A lot of people see them as their
05:05children. So I think it's important to give them good quality treats, good personalised treats as
05:11well, which are one of our best sellers, our birthday sets. People love spoiling their dogs.
05:17Joel Fletcher for KMTV. Now, preserving wildlife has become ever more important as environments where
05:25they thrive are deteriorating at such a rapid pace and in some cases even cause harm to the animals
05:32there. Our reporter Ethan Matieringay visited Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation to find out more about
05:38what goes into caring for these animals after they lose their homes and even worse.
05:43Located near Eynsford, Eagle Heights is a non-profit wildlife foundation celebrating its 30th birthday
05:51this year. Despite its namesake, Eagle Heights looks after more than just birds. From meerkats to sheep,
05:59any animal in need is welcome. I'm here today to see how birds like Nanook
06:04and other animals are being cared for and nurtured. We got the chance to get up close to some with
06:10one of
06:11the handlers. A typical day looking after the birds here is a lot of cleaning, a lot of maintenance,
06:18making sure every bird is healthy, each aviary is clean. After cleaning it takes us to showtime and
06:24overall it's very busy but very rewarding work. A big effort on obviously the animal welfare as well,
06:31so lots of enrichment type things that we do, we do lots of different feeding variety and as much
06:38flying and stimulation as we can offer them as well. Most fascinating for me, it's got to be Harold,
06:44our Eurasian griffin vulture. Harold arrived as one of the first animals here at Eagle Heights back
06:49in the late 90s and for 20 years we were told that she was a male and then one day
06:54she laid an egg.
06:55We've also acted as a rescue home for huskies as well for the last few years and at the minute
06:59we've
06:59currently got 29 individuals that are all in the kennels. So the huskies arrived by really a complete
07:08accident, there wasn't much intention behind it. One of the guys here at the time started with a
07:14handful of something like two or three and then he noticed that there were just so many available for
07:19adoption from places like Battersip but it's just because they are a working breed and in the countryside
07:24like we are, we don't get much foot traffic, we can walk them for five, ten miles a day, you
07:29know,
07:30they've got a big exercise pen where they can run around, they can howl as much as they like and
07:33it
07:33doesn't upset any neighbours, it's just a really nice environment for them to be in. However, Eagle Heights
07:39is a small organisation run locally. Looking after animals comes with its own unique challenges,
07:46needing to care for the needs of each species and appealing to potential visitors.
07:50I think a lot of the typical challenges we find in running an independent wildlife centre here
07:55is a lot of outreach, funding, we don't get a lot of funding, all the funding that we have is
08:01from
08:01everyone that comes to visit, so essentially we are on our own. I think the mammals are very important
08:07along with the birds because it gives people the opportunity to realise that wildlife isn't just
08:13the big exciting animals, it's a lot of the stuff that we look past as well.
08:17Ethan Matariangay for KMTV in Ironsford.
08:21And finally, let's take a moment to delve into the figures and statistics of Kent's animal and
08:26pet friendly sector. Joining me this week to bring us the deep dive is Alia Pritchard.
08:38Hiya Alia, so why do you think pet bakeries are becoming more popular?
08:43Well, I think people are prioritising taking care of their pets more and more,
08:47partly as a way of improving their own wellbeing. Personally, I think that caring for pets not only
08:53enhances the pet's quality of life, but also the owner's mental and emotional wellbeing. I mean,
08:59whenever I'm feeling stressed, I know my dogs will always cheer me up. Therefore, people might treat
09:05their dogs to high quality goods from pet bakeries as a way to improve their own quality of life.
09:10Pet bakeries can also offer a more personal experience for the owners and their pets,
09:15where they can get custom treats and foods which are made specifically for their pet's needs,
09:20something more general pet stores don't often offer. And as we heard earlier, they can offer
09:24themed treats for holidays and events like pets' birthdays. The products from pet bakeries tend to be
09:30fresher and less processed as well. The pet treats are of higher quality than mass produced alternatives,
09:38and statistics show that as of October 2025, 61% of pet owners actually put their pet's needs above
09:46their own, meaning they might want those higher quality and healthy pet foods.
09:51Wonderful. And as we saw, we visited an animal sanctuary earlier. Why are these so important to
09:57have here in Kent? Well, Kent is a county rich in wildlife, but the Kent Wildlife Trust says that,
10:03as of late 2025, over 200 species are threatened or endangered in Kent, with natural habitats shrinking
10:10or degrading at an alarming rate. So the need for sanctuaries is at an all-time high, as more and
10:16more
10:16animals in Kent are in need of wildlife centres and sanctuaries. And Kent offers a wide range of different
10:22animal sanctuaries, from specialised wildlife rehabilitation centres, from like the Foley Wildlife
10:28Rescue Trust in Tunbridge Wells, to public sanctuaries like the Buttercup's Goat Sanctuary in Maidstone.
10:36So we've spoken quite a lot about wildlife rescue centres, but what is there for domestic animals?
10:41Well, Kent has many pet sanctuaries as well, and there's definitely a higher need for them,
10:47across the whole country, with an estimated 100,000 dogs and 150,000 cats entering shelters
10:54and rescues each year. So shelters are always encouraging people to come down and visit,
11:00support and adopt from shelters when they're considering adding a furry friend to their households.
11:05Wonderful. Thank you so much, Alia.
11:12You've been watching Made in Kent live here on KMTV, but there's more news made just for Kent
11:18throughout the evening. And don't forget, you can always keep up to date with the latest news
11:22across your county by logging into kmtv.co.uk, and you can keep us on your social timelines by
11:27liking us on Facebook or following us on Instagram. We also have a range of special programmes like Invicta
11:33Sport, Kent Student 101, Kent on Climate, Kent Film Clope, Based in Kent and The Kent Politics Show.
11:38But from us and the crew, thank you so much. See you later.
11:41We'll see you later.
11:42We'll see you later.
11:45We'll see you later.
11:57Transcription by CastingWords
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