We ARE the pet people....

I have been working for HH for over 6 months. I have always loved animal every since I was a child. I grew up with them, such as horses, dogs, goats etc. I would say my favourite animal is a horse because of how majestic and elegant they are. I love riding them and taking care of them, it takes time to nurture them but it is extremely peaceful and it allows you to be calm when being with them. Working with HH has been a good experience so far, and the best thing about it is being able to take care of the dogs, and spending time with them always brings a smile to my face. They all have such a sweet personality and are very different, and the fact that I go out everyday to a park/ field, brings joy to me, to be so close to nature everyday. As they all have such different qualities and behaviours, the funniest thing ever is when one of the dogs poop in my car I couldn't  believe it! If I didn’t have to work, I think I’d still make myself be at the position to take care of animals, or even be around them. Before I used to work in the hospitality side of business, whether it be customer care, chef, etc. But so far this is one of the best jobs I have had. I have a dog named Leo, he is an American Akita and is going to be turning 2 in 2 months! My dad has horses at our house in Spain and goats, so whenever I get the chance to go back, I spend time with them.

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 I've worked in various places over my lifetime, including retail, nightclub bar manager, stables, factory team leaders, recruitment and a short spell in work experience as a  veterinary assistant and more. The list is endless but never something I loved or always wanted to do. I love all animals but dogs are my thing. I was brought up with dogs and have been a dog owner all my life. After my last job working in retail for 8 long years, then gratefully getting made redundant, it was the wake up call I needed. I decided to take a year's career break and realised that life is too short to not do a job you know you would love. So when the opportunity to work with Happy hounds arose and run my own daycare and boarding, I jumped at it. Almost 3 years later and I still love it. Plus my own dog Polly who is in her senior years loves her friends and meeting new ones.The team at Happy Hounds are great. They are all genuine  caring animal lovers and work together as a team. It's the best thing I ever did and I regret not doing it sooner - why work with people when you can work with puppies and dogs?!

Enfield council: Licence number No: LN/202000096

After a variety of different jobs including Greggs, a chef in a few pubs, a piercer in a tattoo shop and a delivery driver, the most recent journey I thankfully ended was in a fast-paced call centre job role in insurance, and I can tell you this is a breath of fresh air. As silly as it sounds I never knew you could actually enjoy a job this much! And as a group walker, the dogs are always super excited to see you and thats the level of positivity I can get on board with! Obviously except dogs and cats I'd have to say my favourite animal is an Elephant, purely because they share similar emotions to us dear old Humans and I can definitely relate (also they're super cute)
I don't currently have a dog of my own but my partner has two cockapoos who I love and lets face it, I may as well be a co-parent to them. I've grown up in a family who have always had pets, so naturally my life has been dominated by cats and dogs (and other animals) and in all honesty I wouldn't have any other way.

Nicola LOVES running doggy daycare from her home and the dogs love it too! She’s been with us providing services since early 2019 but she already had so much experience dealing with animals, having been a pet owner for most of her life and also regularly boarding family & friends’ dogs. She topped up her experience by volunteering as an assistant at a kennels, where she fed & watered, exercised and groomed the dogs, so is a very confident handler – or as we like to call her firm but fair! All the pooches have a great time playing and hanging out and boarding and snoozing. It really is a fantastic home from home.

Enfield council: Licence number No: LN/202000031

I’ve grown up with animals all my life, from cats to horses and everything in between and always felt like I connected with them more than anything else. When I moved to Surrey from the sunny (not so sunny) Isle of Wight I decided to start studying and did an Animal Management course, which led me to continue studying for a degree in Animal Science. I have also volunteered with the RSPCA, Zoos and a Veterinary Clinic, and in turn have gained a lot of experience with not only the behaviour and health of animals, but also the care and wellbeing.  After being in the hospitality industry for the last 13 years I have finally moved into a job where I feel at home and can put my knowledge to good use.

Reinaldo originally hails from Venezuala where he dog groomed for several years. He upped his British dog grooming training by getting further qualifcations at Groomarts and is a great new addition to the happyhounds.co.uk team. Providing beautiful cuts and care for a lovely range of clients: from puppies first groom, to giant Newfoundlands, they've all had a lovely unstressful time and come home looking (and smelling!) FABULOUS.

I’ve been working with the Happy Hounds team for just a year at this point, but I’ve never had a dull moment! You’d think tucked away in an office there was only so much that can go on, but when you work with animals you can never know what to expect - even when you’ve been doing it for 15 years like I have! My first job was as a warehouse assistant while in college, and whilst we had fun zipping around on the forklifts, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. Animals have always been a constant in my life, so when it was time to move on, it was a no-brainer! I started off as a kennel assistant in Chingford and gradually worked my way up over the years, all the way to office manager. After getting made redundant I was offered a few job roles within the same company but none of them felt like the right fit - which was when I found Happy Hounds! I couldn’t be happier to continue to use all the dog skills and tech skills I’ve learnt over the years. When I’m not responding to emails I’m usually out walking my five(!) rescue dogs, snuggling with my rescue cats or tortoise, or catching a game with friends at Tottenham Hotspurs stadium with my season pass. Come on you Spurs!

Hello. I'm Stuart. Stay at home Dad, artist, barman, disco dancing punk rocker. Growing up in a London pub we always had pub dogs. Fiery labs and German Shepherds with oodles of personality who lived to socialise with the locals. Our tiny flat is not suitable for a dog but perfect for our tortoise shell cat Jazz. She rules the roost. Working at Happy Hounds helps me fill that doggy sized void in my life. I specialise in solo walks, looking after your best friend 1 to 1.

I grew up near Grenoble, France, in the countryside and on the ski slopes. I started working with Happy Hounds in June 2022, partly to help me process the loss of someone close to me. I love that the dogs I help - are helping me too! If I had to choose a favourite thing about working with Happy Hounds, other than the furry companions, it would be the freedom it allows me. And also all of the funny moments shared with an animal. The latest is getting evicted from my hammock by a super-size dog!  I grew up with a Groenendael named Neï. With Neï, I learned how to raise a dog and train them, communicate with them, play with them, look after them and have confidence with general handling.

I recently started working for Happy Hounds and I’m already loving it. I've had animals all my life and love spending my time with them. Right now I have three cats which I adore but I do miss having a dog in my life, so dog walking is a great job for me.

Hi! I'm Anna, I've been working with Happy Hounds since February 2021. I grew up in London with terriers - Daisy the Westie (RIP) who lived to the ripe old age of 17 (!!) and Gretel the Schnauzer who is 9 this year. I now live with my boyfriend and our greyhound, Oscar! A step up ... (literally, a ladder) from scruffy little rat catchers to a big old squirrel chaser! For me, a house is really not a home without a dog, I love their companionship and the silly things they do to make us laugh! I stumbled upon Happy Hounds when I was looking for someone to clip Oscar's nails, and found a job advertisement for a DOG DAY CARE... I thought... 'this MUST be an April Fool's...' it seemed too good to be true!! But here I am, in my kitchen surrounded by my motley gang of: one playful Romanian rescue, one bossy schnauzer, one silly sausage, one scrappy border terrier, one elegant whippet with rather potent farts and a cuddly cockapoo - and this is my life! I love the fact that I look forward to seeing my 'colleagues' every single day.  I come from a children's book publishing background, and also managed my local independent book shop, so reading has always been my passion. I also love to write, poetry in particular. Usually silly and humorous little ditties - recently when one of my dog 'colleagues' moved with her family to the countryside, I wrote her an ode to say goodbye from me and all of her friends! The dogs are GREAT inspiration for poetry and stories!

Growing up, my house was often referred to as a zoo given the amount of animals we had! From dogs to snakes to chickens, if it will accept my cuddles I will give them. After not getting on with the traditional academic route, I decided to go back to one of my earliest passions, and luckily Happy Hounds needed a new daycare manager. After 4 happy (and muddy) years at daycare, I've moved into the office where I help out with the admin side of things. It's an amazing team to be a part of, and you know you'll never have a boring day!

Neil - Tommo to his friends - is bloomin’ fantastic with animals. A long time dog owner himself, always a rescue from Battersea, he’s a big fan of site hounds. So give him a whippet or a lurcher or something pointy and quick and he’s in heaven! Neil looks after our dog's who need a little more care and attention, on Solo walks and Puppy Sits- he's attentive and has the patience of a saint! He’s also a professional photographer, with bands and gigs his speciality.  We do have a lovely creative bunch.

She acts, she writes, she creates, she’s a florist; and she LOVES dogs! Originally from Scotland, Lynne’s a life long animal enthusiast with a passion for boisterous bully breeds, greyhounds and a soft spot for a rescue of any size. Lynne’s a pro with 5 years at Happy Hounds and an extensive knowledge of dog breeds, behaviour and training. Lynne has her own retired greyhound Roxanne at home, who lives happily with her pointy brother Sunny the Cat.

I joined Happy Hounds in 2014 after taking early retirement from my job in banking, a career lasting for over 30 years. I grew up in Luton, started in banking there after leaving school, and eventually moved to London in the 1980’s. I have always been an animal lover, and have enjoyed the companionship of both cats and dogs throughout my life, so when I was looking for a new challenge the prospect of joining Happy Hounds seemed like the perfect fit and I have never looked back, thoroughly enjoying every day spent with such a fantastic variety of furry personalities. My average day now couldn’t be more different from my previous desk bound existence, I am out in the fresh air walking a lot of the time and have never been fitter, or more content as I experience the constant joy of seeing happy faces pleased to see me!

Nicola is another we won't let go. She's been travelling for the last year after working with us for two, and we're delighted we've managed to lure her back to Happy Hounds.  After graduation she moved to London and was ecstatic to find a job working with animals.  Growing up with dogs her whole life, she understands the love and importance of dogs as part of the family. Quickly becoming a key member of the team, she studied dog training as well as managing daycare and it's great to have her back with the us so she can develop along with us.

Licence number: LBWF/938532/202

Since joining the amazing Happy Hounds team, things have changed - being a freelancer script supervisor in television and combining a love of music, I’m now also able to indulge another passion - a massive love of animals. Yes ... Life has changed, my shopping habits are now unrecognisable as I search the net for scented biodegradable poo bags and scan the aisles for special deals on favoured dog treats, I also find myself rescuing snails from exuberant puppies, and now have a full appreciation of the diverse world of the dog harness. But the best change of all is spending time with all the wonderful dogs and cats residing in the area, who luckily for me, have chosen Happy Hounds to look after them.

Joe came to us after many years in an office-based role and was ready for a change of scenery – he’s been around dogs all his life and so the appeal of working with them and spending time outdoors was just what he wanted.  He hasn’t looked back – absolutely loves walking groups and solos alike and often has so much fun that he often returns as muddy as the dogs.  He also has a background in physical theatre and is uncannily good at doing impressions of the dogs. When he isn't out walking, Joe is in the office with us helping out.

I was born and have lived in Chingford all my life. My background is working in a London Art Gallery, I loved the job having always been into art myself .However when it relocated elsewhere and having had enough of the long commute I ended up in various part time jobs from retail to children's nurseries - neither of which were my cup of tea! When this job came along I leapt at the chance as I have always wanted to work with animals. I have had pets all my life dogs, rabbits, Guinea pigs, you name it I've had it! It also means I can work from home and combine my love of dogs while looking after my own dog George, a Jack Russell x Pug. He gets so excited when his furry friends turn up for the day! If I didn’t have to work, you'd probably find me cycling or taking a long dog walk in Epping Forest while bird watching . Yes, I admit I'm a secret Twitcher! Either that or brushing up on my guitar lessons or doodling in my sketch pad! My HH adventure has just begun but I can finally say I've found a job I look forward to getting up for in the morning!

I joined Happy Hounds & Cooler Cats in April 2022 and I have never been happier. For many years I wanted to do something different and when I came across the opportunity to work with animals I jumped at the chance. I have always been an animal lover and in recent years I have spent a lot of time volunteering at the local dog and cat rescue shelters. Previously I worked in the insurance industry for over 20 years and my working day now couldn't be more different. I'm now out and about in the fresh air getting lots of exercise and enjoyment, spending my time with my happy, excited furry friends. I live with my wife two kids and two cats (Charlie & Freddie), who are absolutely purrfect.