George & friends was founded in September 2015 by Paul Ahmet-Thomas, who swapped a successful career in the kitchen with a much more rewarding life looking after dogs.
Paul grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, in a family of animal lovers and remembers always being surrounded by animals of one kind or another. Trips to the beach with the family’s pack of dogs were particularly memorable and put him in good stead for a career working with dogs.
Paul moved permanently to the UK in 2004 and set about creating a life for himself here. He missed being around animals though, and his desire to have a dog of his own was particularly strong. After many years of saying ‘if only’ and stalking mini-Dachshunds on the streets of London, Paul & his ex-husband decided that they were ready to become pawrents and started looking for a KC assured breeder. And so, it was that in November 2014, George came into their lives and changed everything for the better.
George & friends was borne out of a desire for Paul to spend everyday with George. He literally changed Paul’s life and G&F is a testament to how he managed to bring people & furiends together.
We sadly lost George on the 29th of June 2025. He died unexpectantly and the shock of losing him so suddenly has been profound. He had a larger than life personality and his loss has been felt by everyone who knew and loved him. The legacy he created is just incredible and his spirit lives on in all the wonderful furiendships he formed.
We miss you George and continue to honour your memory everyday.
Winston, George’s side kick/assistant, joined our family unexpectedly in the summer of 2018, as he was looking for a new home and we fell in love with him immediately. He is an absolute sweetheart despite the tough start he had in life and has become an integral part of our family. He’s fun-loving, lovable, cute and loves being part of the team.