Nottingham-based 101 Pet Express, owned by former Southwell Minster School pupil, awarded for UK and Europe animal transport services

A business which transports beloved pets across the UK and Europe has won multiple awards.

101 Pet Express, owned by Joshua Leivers who grew up and was educated in Southwell, transports pets across the UK and Europe for both private clients and rescues.

The business has been named as the Best International Pet Transporter by SME News in both 2023 and 2022, winner of the SME News award for Customer Service Excellence in 2023 and is a finalist in both the Animal Star Awards and FTA/Logistics UK Van Awards.

Joshua said: “The whole family has always loved pets, but I think a lot of it stems from when I visited my parents — who were living in Cyprus at the time — and saw the amount of stray dogs.

“The rescues struggle to find them homes in other countries, with the expense of flying them there.

“I took a bit of a gamble and got a van together, I realised it would be a lot cheaper to pick them up and have us drive them back by road instead of putting them on a plane.

“It’s great to be recognised for our services.”

101 Pet Express now has a fleet of bespoke vans with crash-tested cages, aircon and “all the creature comforts” which they say leads the way in animal welfare over profits.

The business, based in Nottingham, primarily serves private clients and continues to support rescues when help is needed.

It has seen the team transport pets from places as far afield as Cyprus, Mauritius and China, as well as closer to home. Joshua has even arranged private jet transport for a customer’s beloved dog when they were unable to cross the Eurotunnel on the day.

Joshua added: “We’ve had all sorts, from normal rescues to footballers who have used our services.”