MacDougall's dog walking memoir to Bonnier Books UK

Bonnier Books UK has acquired Kate MacDougall's story of the dog walking business she founded in her mid-twenties, London’s No1 Dog Walking Agency. 

Packed with "funny, charming, very British characters both canine and human", the book—which is Susannah Otter's first acquisition for Bonnier Books UK, as editorial director for Blink–is due to publish in spring 2021, while a second book has also been signed to follow in spring 2022. 

UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, were acquired for both books from Laura MacDougall at United Agents. US rights were pre-empted by Rachel Kahan at William Morrow.

According to the book's synopsis, the book's author "walks us through the scrappy few first months where she was winging it with some white lies, to the rush of success and insane demands from celebrity clients, to the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash". It is also "the story of Kate falling in love, trying to have children and working out what she really wants life to look like".

Otter said: "Everyone at Bonnier Books UK has been charmed by Kate’s story of finding her feet whilst tangled up with naughty dogs and even naughtier owners. We’ve all contemplated a career change to something entirely different, with more freedom and outside space: reading about the realities and challenges it might actually involve has convinced me to put off that switch to full-time gardener for a little longer, and stick with publishing brilliant books like this."

Kate MacDougall said: "I’m so excited to be working with Bonnier Books UK—and delighted that readers will get a glimpse into the weird and wonderful lives of some of the dogs I walked."