Hello, and welcome our very first blog on our brand new website.
Growing up in Mirfield, I was surrounded by pets and animals. We always had a dog and I was the proud owner of a Pony called Punch that I loved to ride after school in the field near to our home.
When I left school, I wanted to work with animals and specifically dogs so I was thrilled when I got a job as a Trainee Dog Groomer at ‘Animal Crackers’ in Cleckheaton (maybe some of our readers can still remember the shop). Here I learned the trade and developed my skills and abilities enough to begin competing and placing in dog shows. I eventually ran my very own dog grooming business on Stocks Bank Road at my parents’ house before eventually moving to a Dog Grooming and pet shop premises in Dewsbury.
In 1986, to celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, I decided it would be a good idea to mark the occasion by turning my Bichon Frise red, white and blue; something that could possibly raise an eyebrow or two today, but the dye was completely harmless and washed out naturally.
Life’s twists and turns meant that I had to give up my business and, though I never lost my love for dogs, for many years I undertook office based work in accounts.
Until recently, I thought that my dog grooming days were never to return until my husband suggested I could maybe start something up again. I didn’t give it much thought at the time but slowly the idea seemed to gain momentum and before I knew it we were busy applying for planning permission, buying grooming equipment and arranging for plumbers, electricians and joiners to complete our project. Maybe in a future blog, I can tell you about the amazing tradesmen we found right on our very doorstep.
And now we are up and running and I am so proud of our renovation; you really must pop in to see what we are shouting about. We have a fantastic dog friendly parlour with a growing clientele and I love to see new customers as well as the many that keep returning.
Keep a lookout for further blog posts where I plan to keep you informed of our canine adventures and let you know of any news, events or basically anything pooch related.
See you soon...
Joanne