Today is The Cambridge Dog Lodge 10th anniversary! I can’t quite believe it, if I am honest. I am unsure where the time has gone. Most importantly though it has been a very packed 10 years.
I have been putting this off for a while now. I wasn’t really sure what to write. As it has been such a packed 10 years, I wasn’t sure what to include and what to disregard from this. This last 7 months have probably been the hardest too, often wondering if I should continue or go and get a stable, salaried job(I know nothing is stable now, but a girl can dream). And, just looking through my photos, thousands of them, that in itself was a mammoth task! I have tried to include as many different animals as possible but sadly it just wasn't possible. If I have missed any, I am very sorry.
So let me start from the beginning. I have always had an affinity with animals. All the way back to being a small child, I have just loved them. I knew from an early age that I had a connection with them and wanted to work with animals. Watching All Creatures Great and Small was what made me decide I would be a vet. But then it made me decide not to be. Double edge sword of watching animals being born, all the way to watching them die. With some blood and guts mixed in for good measure, didn’t take much to persuade me that being a vet was probably not the road I would take.
I tried a number of different careers along the way. And throughout all of it, I always had animal companions.
Back in 2011, I wanted to start my own business taking care of other people’s animals, but I was talked out of it and did something else instead. Two years down the line, I went back to my original idea and The Cambridge Dog Lodge was born.
Looking about now, there are many dog walkers and pet services available, who all seem to have begun with a high number of dogs, a shiny new van, and a big presence on social media along with lots of recommendations and publicity. It did not happen like that for me. But I did have very good friends who trusted me, and some well-established friendly dog walkers who sent me over some dogs.
Jasper, Bob, Rory, and Lloyd; It started very small. And it was very very hard. Despite starting in summer with some boarding the walking didn’t actually come into play till winter! In 2014 Holly Boxer, the twins, Skylar and Zuko came into my life. And I worked and worked at it, never really knowing where it was heading.
Never did I think when I was a child just how many animals I would get to know and love. And yes, that is right, I do mean love. What many don’t realise is I do truly love the animals I take care of. Some more or less than I do others, but that’s no different to how we feel about fellow humans. And I don’t humanize animals, but I do think they are very much like us, and often take on the personalities or traits and behaviours of humans and other animals in their lives. One of the things I have observed in the 10 years is I can usually tell what the pet is like when I have met their pet carer first, or the animal first what their human is like.
It has been a very eventful 10 years, with many ups and downs. I have made many friends along the way, human and animal. I have experienced so many things and learned so much. I have both learned from the animals and from studying, but mostly from the animals. I probably understand animal body language better than human and I often know the animals, dogs especially, better than their owners. I see these animals interact with each other and I think I am very lucky. It’s like I am watching and being part of the secret life of pets!
Apart from Ben and the children being part of the actual dog lodge, I have sometimes had assistance from people along the way. I have had a few people come along for a little while and work with me. It was nice having them there for the time they were with me. But it is not something anyone can just do. I am sure many of you have said ‘you have the best job’ in the summer and ‘wouldn’t want to be doing your job’ in the winter, to myself or another dog walker. That sums up people’s attitude to this business mostly. The seasons are a massive influence on the job. Along with very unstable income. And then of course the poop (more about that later). There is of course more to it than that, so I am mostly alone doing my job.
I do have a very supportive family, great clients, and very good friends who are also fellow dog walkers. Then there are the animals. Small, large, furry, feathered, scaley, smelly, cute, grumpy, happy, bonkers, too clever for their own good, who all listen when I talk, who I know answer me back or provide me with answers. Sooth me when I am sad (Alfie poo sat with me when our Poppy died, his paw on my shoulder, his face next to mine). Sit with me when I am tired. Just want company and stretch out on my lap. Recognise me even when I haven’t seen them for years. Everyone knows I have a farms worth of my own pets, but I also have a very large extended pack of animals of all kinds. It’s pretty wonderful. If you get me talking about your pet, or issues you maybe experiencing and need assistance, I have to make a mental note of when I need to stop talking because I love it so much, it makes my brain buzz.
I am lucky enough to receive gifts from my owners over the years. Chocolates, fridge magnets and Christmas decorations (these get pride of place) lovely home signs and garden decorations. But I cannot forget the vacuum cleaner! Yes, I have a proper industrial vacuum cleaner, that came as a gift! And I can tell you now, as a hater of vacuum cleaners because I have to use them so blooming much, this one is the best!
I am also a poop pro! That’s right, you read that right, I am a dog poop pro. That’s something I didn’t realise I would be saying after 10 years! I know what your dog has eaten, good or bad, and I can often tell you if your dog is a bit off due to their poop. Part of me wishes I had started making a note of how many poops I picked up from the very beginning. But I think that really would be sad. Maybe. I have however lost count of how many times I have stood over a poop and thought ‘how on earth am I going to pick that up?!’ Don’t worry, there are no photos.
The downside is it can be very lonely when things go wrong, or I need assistance solving a problem. It is exhausting trying to pull everything together and I spend many hours working for nothing, solving problems or helping someone in need.
When I lose a pet through a house move or services not required any more, it is not just the income loss I struggle with. I miss them, they were part of my life, I treated them like my own, and it is very hard knowing I won’t see them again. It is, however, always a pleasure when they return! Otis came back from Australia!
When one dies, they take a piece of my heart with them. I feel like a have lost one of my own and I am heartbroken. I feel the pain intensely. It takes me quite some time to recover from the death of the animals I have taken care of. I have thankfully been asked to visit before a pet has been put to sleep, so I can say goodbye and I am always very grateful for the opportunity. This has led me to be a Pet Bereavement Counsellor.
Then there is the weather. I am yet to find actual waterproof boots (well, my Aigile wellies are waterproof, but I am not supposed to do long walks in them) and other clothes and I am convinced I now have a webbed feet. Or trench foot. One of the two. It always makes me laugh in spring when someone says, ‘you’ve lost weight!’ Nope, that will be the number of layers you are used to seeing me in and now I am just wearing less clothes.
As well as the weather, vehicles have been the bane of my life. Ask any pet business and they will tell you that having a good working van or car is a joy! But when it doesn’t work, oh my goodness it changes everything! And I have had my fair share of issues. My orange van broke my heart when I had to say goodbye. Yes, I know it is just a machine, but we had been through a lot together, been all over the country not just here in tameside and everyone knew my van and loved it too! One little boy loved it so much, seeing the dog on the side
I had a little key ring made for him. It sadly could not be fixed and had to go for scrap.
I do have new services this year. I have the pet bereavement services, puppy consultant services,
This year sadly hasn’t gone as planned. It has been a very hard 7 months and I am not sure I will remember 2023 fondly; I did think I would have all sorts of ways to celebrate and show that my business had become 10 years old. I know it has been a hard year for many whether in business or salaried jobs, or life in general. But hey, the best laid plans of mice and men!
What is important is that The Cambridge Dog Lodge is 10 years old, and I have new services, new animals to take care of, and new lovely clients, new pets and adventures of my own, and I am incredibly proud of what I have achieved. I will continue to take a holistic approach to my business, and I will continue to take care of your pets as if they were my own. So, here’s to the next 10 years!
