A WYE Valley family are providing a lifeline for owners of dogs who are “not the easiest” to exercise in public with a secure space where they can let their four-legged friends run free.

Local couple Jessi and Chris Stephens, who live in Rogiet with their two young sons Fergus and Harris and five dogs, have just launched their new business ‘Happy Fields’, a space in Tutshill where owners can freely exercise their dogs without fear of them running away.

The business offers two bookable spaces for private exercise - a 3.5 acre field with woodland area, designed to give dogs “a real space to run and explore”, and a one acre ‘Puppy Paddock’, ideal for smaller dogs or training.

The pair say they were inspired by their own experience as owners of both rescue and site-driven dogs - two Labradors and three Lurchers.

Jessi, formerly of Ruardean, said of the space: “It’s a secure area for owners of reactive dogs who aren’t able to let them run free in public, for fear that they’ll run off after other dogs or livestock.

“It’s in a gorgeous location overlooking the Wye Valley, we don’t have loads of equipment so it’s really about natural enrichment, particularly with the woodland area which makes it quite unique”.

Musician and finance worker Jessi says she and Chris, a farmer and gardener, hope their new venture will give them the financial security to start their own farm.

She said of their inspiration: “We’ve got reactive dogs ourselves, but we’re lucky in that Chris’ dad has a farm so we’ve had that safe space to take them.

“Three of our dogs are Lurchers and have a high prey drive, so we’re not able to take them to the beach or to the park for fear they’ll chase after small fluffy dogs or livestock, which can be somewhat scary for the other owners!”

After coming up with the idea in 2020, they eventually managed to find a suitable site for the business after speaking to the owners of Hanley Farm near Tidenham.

“We spent a long time trying to buy land but it always fell through or the plots just weren’t right”, Jessi said.

“Then we spoke to Lyndon and Tom Edwards who offered us the current site on a long rental agreement.”

Months of hard work followed, and after the couple managed to secure planning permission to use the site, works to prepare the land and erect fencing were then delayed by the heatwave - and the small matter of their wedding in the summer.

They were pleased to finally open the site to the public on Sunday (October 9), having spread the word amongst the local community through Facebook.

Jessi said of the reaction over the opening weekend: “People are loving it! What’s been really nice is getting the chance to talk to people and hear their stories.

“A lot of people have said a space like this has been needed in the area for a while, and that they feel safe here - they’re not worried.”

The couple have also come up with an eco-friendly way of dealing with dog waste, by asking owners to collect and dispose of it in their on-site wormeries.

The ‘Big Field’ can be booked in 55 minute slots, while ‘Puppy Paddock’ slots are 25 minutes long.

Secure fencing surrounds both areas, while a screening between the two ensures that dogs can’t see each other.

Alternatively the whole site can be booked to ensure users don’t meet another dog.

Prices start at £17 for the big field and £6 for the paddock, with a 25 per cent discount offered for those who sign up for annual membership, costing £20.

For more information and to book a slot, go to www.happyfields.uk.