Leo and Charley
Companion Nominee
Leo and Charley
This wonderful pair of pups has changed my life completely. Leo arrived in 2016 just as I was suffering from arthritis and a heart problem that left me feeling too vulnerable to go out. I was worried that I may become agoraphobic. But Leo depended on me to take him for walks so, bit by bit, he helped me regain my confidence, becoming my personal trainer and emotional support and leading me to live a healthier and more active life.
Two years later Charley was adopted from Spaniel Aid in 2018. She became the inspiration behind my business, handmaking pretty dog collars and accessories from home. She was a sad-looking little thing when she arrived with everyone thinking she was a boy. I soon addressed that by making her floral collars that really made her look fabulous. I made tweed ones Leo so he looked smart too. Things then escalated fairly quickly with demand from friends and family wanting collars for their own dogs. This prompted me to end a stressful nursing career of 39 years to properly launch the business in 2019 so now I lead a much more relaxed existence, sewing and organising my work around dog walks and snuggle time.
The dog’s are a huge part of my life and have helped me in unexpected ways. One big bonus is that I am able to donate funds to Spaniel Aid UK which is the charity that saved Charley. To date, we’ve been able to contribute over £2000 to help them with their work. I would never have believed this possible but these canine companions are a blessing in so many ways.
Category: Companion
