28/05/2026
☆ANNOUNCEMENT☆: Must Love Dogs is Moving !! 🐾
Hey Everybody,
I'm writing this post to let you all know that Must Love Dogs is relocating. The salon will be closing in Manorhamilton on Wednesday 8th July. After that I will be grooming dogs at my home in Kiltyclogher.
I understand that this change will be disappointing and problematic for some of you, but I can't begin to tell you how difficult and heartbreaking this decision has been for me, because I've been a part of the wonderful Manorhamilton community for 2 years now and I've loved every minute of it. But I am making this change purely for health reasons. Some of you know that I fractured my heel bone in December 2024, and while I recovered well from those injuries, the heel joint has now developed arthritis. And despite many medical treatments and pain management strategies, it has become severe and debilitating, and the doctors have told me that this is very common with a heel bone fracture. I can still function and work as normal, I just can't continue to spend 8 or 9 hours a day every day on my feet. I've already reduced my working hours but I can't reduce any further and still meet the cost of running a retail unit in town. So the move will allow me to keep my job and keep doing the thing I love most - taking care of dogs. It will just be scaled back so that it's no longer detrimental to my health 💖
So what happens next? I will be working as normal up until the 8th of July, but please note I am fully booked up until then. After that, I will be taking a few weeks off in order to move all of my equipment and get everything set up properly at home, so I expect to be taking bookings from August onwards. For those of you who have dogs booked in after the 8th of July I will be contacting you in the coming days and weeks if I haven't already done so. 🐾
I live in the Kiltyclogher area just 8km from Manorhamilton, but I understand that the new location will not be convenient or suitable for some of you. So I know I will be saying goodbye to some gorgeous dogs and sadly, that's just the way it has to be. However, I'd also like to reassure all of you that once I'm set up at the new location there will be no change - it will still be myself who is grooming your dog, with the same quality and standard of care that you've come to expect. The only change will be the number of dogs I'm grooming per week. As always, you are more than welcome to call me and I'll be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have about the new location, directions, appointment schedules etc. And I know the doggos might be concerned too, but if you can just pass on the message and tell them that Carmel said the treat situation is sorted, they don't need to worry because there will be plenty of treats at the new place - there'll always be treats!
For the moment, the only thing left for me to do is to thank each and every one of you most sincerely for your wonderful support and for trusting me with your beautiful dogs! 🥰 The decision to walk away from large-scale commercial dog grooming and set up my own small business was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. I didn't just meet lots of fabulous new dogs, I made wonderful new human friends too! And even though its breaking my heart to have to leave Manorhamilton after just 2 years, and I'm so sorry to do that folks, I simply have to prioritise my health and listen to the orthopedic consultant. Because there will be surgery down the road at a later date that will have a major impact on my mobility, we're just trying to postpone that surgery for as long as possible. It's not the general physical demands of dog grooming that's doing the damage, it's the amount of time standing/weight bearing that's causing it to get worse. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be moving at all.
On the positive side, I'm super excited to start this new chapter and I hope that you will be able to make this change with me. I can't wait to see what the future holds! Because the best thing about this? - I've always believed that the hardest part of being a dog groomer for me is not being able to bring the dogs home with me!! And here we are, be careful what you wish for right? The doggies are coming home with me - finally!! 🤣🤣
Thank you all again so much, it's been an honour and a privilege to be your dog groomer. My job is not to wash dogs or shave dogs or cut their hair, because dogs are not objects or sources of income to me. My job is to help people to take care of their dogs, and I do it because I love them. Thank you for continuing to allow me to look after your furry family members, it means the world to me, and always will.
There's no sad goodbye here, there's just change, and I'll see you all very soon for some new dog grooming adventures. Some of you I'll see tomorrow anyway! 😆 Don't forget I'm just a phone call away, and thank you for sticking with me through a very lengthy but necessary Facebook post! We'll be back to normal posts after this one🥰
Love, hugs, and tail wags,
Carmel xx
