Our story
PawSteps grew out of Pets on the Green — a real animal-experience, school-visits and animal-assisted therapy business based in Surrey, founded by Ciera in 2025. We spend our days with real animals and with the children who meet them, and we kept seeing the same thing: teachers wanted the learning and wellbeing to carry on after the visit, and parents wanted trustworthy, welfare-honest guidance at home.
Ciera was diagnosed with autism, ADHD and ARFID in her teens, and found that being around animals was the one thing that truly helped her regulate, focus and feel safe. She turned that lived experience into three years of animal-management education — graduating with distinction — and built Pets on the Green from it.
So we built PawSteps: the same real animals, the same welfare-first values, turned into curriculum-linked lessons, care guides and a wellbeing journey any school or family can use. The animals in our guides aren't stock photos — they're the animals we actually care for.
Lived experience
Autism, ADHD, ARFID — every session is shaped from the inside out, not from a textbook.
60+ animals
Hedgehogs, chameleons, sugar gliders, bearded dragons, royal pythons, rabbits and more.
SEND & EHCP
Works with SEND teams and schools on EHC-plan outcomes and Section F evidence.
School, home & care
Sessions in schools, care homes, hospitals and community venues across Surrey.
Who runs it
Ciera O'Rourke — Founder & Lead Practitioner, and Designated Safeguarding Lead. Level 3 Animal Management (NESCOT, distinction), BSY Level 3 Animal-Assisted Therapy Practitioner, and Safeguarding Children Level 3. Enhanced DBS — barred-list checked.
Every member of the Pets on the Green team who works with children is DBS-checked and registered with the DBS Update Service for real-time verification.
Meet Ciera
The real person behind Pets on the Green — in the room with the animals and the children she works with.
A glimpse of our animals and sessions
The animals across PawSteps are the ones we actually care for. Here are a few — the full set lives in the gallery.
All encounters are real Pets on the Green sessions, shared with the families' permission.
Qualifications & credentials
Ciera holds professional qualifications across animal management, animal-assisted therapy, SEND and safeguarding.
Trust & compliance
The details a school's due-diligence looks for — the confidential paperwork (certificates, policies, insurance and licence documents) is shared directly with schools and Local Authorities on request.
Vet-informed
Care guidance follows current veterinary and welfare best practice, with a dated review line on every guide.
Safeguarding-first
Risk assessments, hygiene and welfare built into every school-facing resource. Named DSL: Ciera O'Rourke.
DBS-checked
Team members who work with children are DBS-checked and on the DBS Update Service.
GDPR
Privacy policy and a schools' data-processing agreement available on request.
Insured & registered
Public liability insurance in place; Pets on the Green Ltd is registered at Companies House (No. 16721467) and holds an Animal Activities Licence.
Welfare-honest
We put the animal first — we call out mis-selling and the "bowl myth", even when it costs us a sale.
Real people, real place
A real business you can email or book — not an anonymous app.