24/08/2026
Four days from now, I’ll close the door on a 10-year journey as a business owner.
Ten years of dogs, families, laughter, challenges, muddy footprints, big personalities, learning, growing and memories that I will carry with me forever. 🐾💜
When I look back, it’s not the business itself that I think about most.
It’s the dogs.
The countless dogs who came through our doors — each with their own personality, quirks, challenges and stories. The nervous ones who found their confidence. The cheeky ones who taught us patience. The dogs who needed a little extra understanding, guidance and support. And the families who trusted us with them.
To every family who chose Diamond Paws, trusted my knowledge, shared their dogs with me and allowed me to be part of their journey — thank you.
You helped turn an idea into something far bigger than I ever imagined.
But there’s another group of people who deserve an enormous part of the credit for what Diamond Paws became — my staff.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of employing and mentoring nine incredible young people.
I watched them walk through the door at different stages of their lives, with different levels of confidence, experience and belief in themselves.
I watched them grow.
They learned about dogs, behaviour, communication, responsibility and leadership — but they also learned about themselves.
They developed confidence. They found their voices. They learned to make decisions, solve problems, take responsibility and believe in what they were capable of achieving.
And they gave so much back in return.
Their commitment, dedication, ideas, energy and genuine love for the dogs became an integral part of building Diamond Paws into what it is today.
I didn’t build this business alone.
Every staff member who put on a uniform, every person who stayed back to finish a job, every lesson they taught, every dog they cared for and every family they supported helped shape the business.
I’m incredibly proud of what they achieved — and even prouder of the people they became.
That, for me, is one of the greatest measures of success.
There are two other very important people who have been an important part of this journey, my sister by birth and my soul sister who grounds me to earth. Thank you both for always having my back.
Then there is one person who has been beside me through all of it — my husband.
There were times when this journey was incredibly hard. Times when I was exhausted, overwhelmed and at my lowest. Times when I genuinely wondered whether I had anything left in me to keep going.
And he never walked away.
He stood beside me when I needed someone beside me.
He stood behind me when I needed someone to believe in me.
And sometimes, when I simply couldn’t find the strength to take the next step, he stood in front of me and helped clear the way.
He believed in my dream, even on the days when I struggled to believe in it myself. He supported the long hours, the stress, the sacrifices, the highs and the incredibly challenging lows. He understood that Diamond Paws wasn’t just a business to me — it was something I had poured my heart, soul and everything I had into.
We forged our way through some incredibly challenging times together. There were moments when I thought I couldn’t keep going, but somehow we always found a way.
So when I close this door, I’m not just closing the door on a business. I’m closing the door on a chapter of our lives that we built, fought for, protected and grew together and for that, I will be forever grateful.
I never imagined just how many lives — human and canine — would become part of the journey.
I’m leaving this chapter knowing that I’ve built something meaningful, helped people grow, supported countless dogs and families, created opportunities for others and survived some incredibly tough times.
