STORY inDEPENDENT BUSINESSES
WITH APRIL MARKING NATIONAL PET MONTH, WE ARE SHINING A WELL-DESERVED SPOTLIGHT ON THE ANIMAL-LOVING KENTISH ENTREPRENEURS WHO SHOWER OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS WITH ENDLESS CARE AND ADORATION.
DOGGIES doggiesdaycare. co. uk / doggiessalon. co. uk doggiesdaycare / doggiessalon
Founded in 2019 by Tom Hughes, Doggies began as a daycare with the vision of growing a brand focused on all aspects of a pup’ s wellbeing- providing the highest level of care, support and love for both the dogs and their owners. Holding a background in banking in London, in his late 20s Tom travelled the world and spent several years living in Australia where he and his wife got their beloved beagle, Bertie, who is now 11.“ When we returned to the UK after four years, we struggled to find a suitable daycare in our area. I knew exactly what I needed as an owner and decided to establish my own,” says Tom.“ I’ m proud to say we are now the leading doggie daycare in the Borough of Bromley. We offer a premium doggie daycare service, including pick up and drop off, at our four-acre, purpose-built facility.” Run by an equally passionate team of experienced, professional individuals, Doggies’ daily enrichment programme is designed to provide care, safe play and socialisation throughout the day, and vehicles are fully customised for safe and comfortable transport. Last year, Tom and the Doggies team opened their very first grooming salon in Chislehurst, alongside a premium dog walking service( Walkies) in December, both of which are looking to expand in the year ahead, so watch this space!
SCRUFF & CO scruffandco. com scruffandco _ shop
Located in the heart of beautiful Broadstairs, Scruff & Co is the result of heartfelt pair Adam and Tessa Lane who opened the wonderful family-run pet store that is Scruff & Co in 2021- built upon a lifetime of love for animals and experience in veterinary medicine and nutrition.“ We opened the store as Tessa wanted a change from her work as a veterinary surgeon, having the opportunity to use her knowledge and expertise to create a fun, community-focused shopping experience for pet lovers,” says Adam.“ Our mission is to provide our perfect pets with the joyful and healthy lives they deserve.” Championing independent, local and environmentally friendly brands, the duo carefully select each product, endeavouring to provide customers with products that are both high quality and eco-friendly. Always on hand for expert advice and to share top product recommendations, Scruff & Co stocks a wide range of products for dogs, cats and small animals, from a pick-and-mix natural treat table and refillable bird seed stations to handmade dog leads and accessories, and a doggie bakery. This year, the shop is looking to broaden its collections so every pet and their owner is catered for, as well as continue to take part in the coastal town’ s host of community events such as Summer Starts Here and the Broadstairs Dickens Festival.
THE FAMILY DOG thefamilydog. com justineanddogs
Born in Tonbridge, Justine Schuurmans began her career as a producer for Nickelodeon and MTV, later moving to the United States where she worked in live television. When she decided to start a family, Justine made a significant life shift and trained as a professional dog trainer. With young children of her own, she soon realised there was little guidance available to help support children and dogs living safely and happily together. Combining her two passions- dogs and media- Justine set out to create educational resources that help others understand dog behaviour. In 2009, The Family Dog was born. Originally launched as a private training business focused on families with young children, The Family Dog quickly began to grow.“ Professionals soon learned what I was doing and started buying my courses, so I created more for them too.” says Justine.“ Now, we’ re dedicated to helping both families and professionals create safe, happy and strong relationships with dogs. We focus on educating humans about their role and responsibility in a dog’ s life, so everyone can thrive together.” The Family Dog’ s flagship system, The Dial Method ®, is a 40-minute animated video with a workbook that teaches humans what they need to know before training a dog. Justine is also co-host of the podcast Your Dog’ s Not Broken(… and neither are you!) and is launching a new initiative, Before You Train Your Dog- an awareness campaign highlighting how human behaviour impacts canine behaviour. Now based back in Whitstable, Justine continues her work educating across the globe, with lots more to come.
172 • www. insidekent. co. uk