Jo Husband and her son with their four beautiful dogs. Photo / Supplied
Jo Husband and her son with their four beautiful dogs. Photo / Supplied
sup1610pooch.JPG Jo Husband and her son with their four beautiful dogs. Photo / Supplied sup1610pooch.JPG The dogs at Pooches Dog Daycare and Grooming are in safe hands. Photo / Supplied
When Jo Husband and her family get together there are more pooches than humans.
Dogs have always been a huge part of Jo's life, so it made sense to make them part of her working life.
Last week she opened the doors to her new business in Havelock North, Pooches Dog Daycare and Grooming.
" I have a background in business and I was looking for a change," Jo said.
" A family member in Wellington runs a doggy daycare and we got chatting last Christmas. I could see there would be a demand for it in Hawke's Bay and it just felt right. It's taken me nearly a year to get it up and running, and we are really pleased with the end result."
She says there are 11,000-12,000 registered dogs in Napier and 7,500 in Hastings.
Pooches Dog Daycare and Grooming is consented to have 60 dogs at a time.
"It certainly isn't a matter of chucking them in a cage. Far from it," Jo said.
The dogs at Pooches Dog Daycare and Grooming are in safe hands. Photo / supplied
"Our grooming service and field trips start from next week. Field trips are where we take a small group of dogs for fun off-leash adventures to the countryside, rivers and beaches. This is available for Daycare Dogs & Field Trip Only dogs. We can collect them and drop them home in our Pooches Taxi vans."
Their catchphrase is "we take care of your dog while you take care of business."
Jo has four dogs of her own — they go to work with her every day.
"They are cruisy dogs and great company — bulletproof, really. When a new dog comes in they are introduced in a play area with one of my dogs. This way we can assess how they interact with other dogs.
"They are then taken into the big play area. So far we have not had any problems. All the dogs have been delightful."
Pooches Dog Daycare and Grooming is working to be SPCA-certified.
"We have four wonderful staff, all local, and we are looking forward to our fully qualified vet nurse joining our team very soon. "
Jo was born and bred in Hawke's Bay and is excited about her new business.
'We are committed to providing a high-quality service from a passionate team of dog lovers who have made caring for dogs their career. We're really looking forward to meeting lots of Hawke's Bay dog owners and their precious pooches."
Pooches Dog Daycare and Grooming is at 9 Cooper Street, Havelock North, and is open five days a week from 7.30am to 5.30pm. For more information, go to pooches.co.nz
