THE founder of the UK’s first dog bus has spoken to the Telegraph & Argus of the “magic” it creates and brings to the pooches, but also people as well.
Billy’s Bus is the brainchild of Laura Mohan, 45, who is originally from Preston but moved to West Yorkshire more than 20 years ago, including time in Burley-in-Wharfedale.
Every day Billy’s Bus picks up around 15 passengers waiting at stops across areas like Ilkley, Skipton, Otley, Shipley and Guiseley.
They are then taken to Laura’s very own secure “Bark Park”, which is situated in two “massive” fields at the top of the Cow and Calf in Ilkley, where the dogs enjoy a variety of activities.
Overall, it is a minimum of three hours of fun, exercise and socialisation.
Laura – a single mum of two, aged 22 and 15 – spoke to the T&A while she was taking just her third day off in the last six months on Friday.
It’s been a busy 14 months to say the least, since the roots of Billy’s Bus first began to sprout.
The story started when Laura needed to fix a problem and then took inspiration from afar.
She was looking for care for her Cavapoo called Billy – who the company is named after – but was struggling.
Laura said: “I’ve had Billy for three-and-a-half years, I couldn’t find the right service for him.”
Billy “didn’t settle in well at doggy daycare and an hour with a dog walker just wasn’t enough for the exercise and socialisation he needed”.
Rather than accept the options available, Laura got thinking, and an idea was sparked in her mind on Boxing Day 2024 when she says she was “doomscrolling” on TikTok and came across an account that made her smile.
That account was ‘K9 Konvoy’, which has almost two million followers and shares videos of dogs enjoying their converted American school bus.
She decided to do something similar this side of the pond, and after unsuccessful attempts at transporting a bus from the US, Laura settled on converting an old bus that she bought at an auction, once belonging to a local council.
Laura said: “My kids thought I’d lost my mind – the more I looked into it, I thought why not give it a go but do it differently.
“Since Covid, everyone has set up a dog walking business.
“Everyone thinks it’s really easy and it’s not, you’ve got to be really obsessed with dogs.”
The pooches sit in their own little seats on the bus, with a mattress, and are secured by three types of safety restraints that are to UK standards.
The main focus initially was getting the pooches to Laura’s play park, but she has been amazed at the socialisation benefits the dogs have experienced while travelling.
She said: “The dogs come on, recognise each other, come up to each other, catch up.”
The passenger pooches are watched over by three people on board, who give out “kisses and treats”.
Laura said they play Classic FM, which is “good for them”, and even have their own sing-songs.
Billy has even found love on the buses.
Her name is Bella and when Billy isn’t on board, his absence is felt by his fluffy partner.
Laura said: “He’s not been on for a few weeks and she’s been quieter.”
The first-ever Billy’s Bus ride took place on October 20, 2025 and it has exploded in popularity ever since, with just short of 1,000 dogs enrolled.
Billy’s Bus is more than just about providing a fantastic service for dogs and their owners though.
Laura volunteered for Outside The Box in Ilkley for around 10 years, a charity that supports those with learning disabilities and/or autism, and most recently for The Huddersfield Mission, which helps vulnerable and marginalised people.
She has always held community close to her heart and that is exemplified in the way Billy’s Bus is run – whether recruiting drivers who are semi-retired or retired veterans, to offering volunteering opportunities to those who have struggled in life.
Laura said one boy who volunteers first came round to her house with his mum and “couldn’t even look me in the eye”.
But she said the difference in six months “is nothing short of a miracle” and she talks with the boy about a variety of topics now.
Laura spoke of another volunteer who had experienced trauma in their life and was out of school and nocturnal.
Her mum brings her to Billy’s Bus every Monday morning from Pontefract and Laura said she slept for the first night after working on the bus.
Meanwhile, another person who had dropped out of school came to volunteer with Billy’s Bus and is now at Craven College studying Animal Welfare.
Laura said: “I’m massive on community and volunteering, especially after Covid, isolation and loneliness has peaked.
“I want a social enterprise in every single council in the whole of the country.”
This would be not for profit and Laura and the Billy’s Bus team would be on hand to advise and help.
She said: “This bus just creates magic everywhere you go.
“Everyone waving to you and beeping at you.”
Laura feels dogs are great therapy for people and volunteers experience a “nonjudgemental environment because dogs don’t judge”.
The hope is to expand Billy’s Bus as a franchise and social enterprise across the country, so everyone can benefit from what it brings to a community.
Laura has got a second bus and revealed that will cover the likes of Bingley, Eldwick and Keighley.
And what of the journey so far?
Laura said: “It’s just proved to me anything is possible, just don’t doubt yourself.
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“If you’d asked me two years ago would I be doing this, I’d think you were mad.
“You should not run after your dreams, you should chase after them at full pelt.”
