My name is Annette Lewington and I have owned Standard Poodles for 30 years. In 2004 I had the opportunity of starting my own business I had my garage converted into a grooming parlour and started training with a professional trainer, Peter Ensell, who was Dog Groomer of the year 2003.  He runs More than Mutts in Atherstone and I trained with him over a six month period.    I then had work experience and would thank Betty and Cheryl for their input together with Peter, Becci and Lee who have all been wonderful to learn from.

I opened ‘Best Friends-Groomers’ on 1st May 2005 and it has been the best 3 years plus that I have ever had, I have built up a first class service and have many customers, every dog breed you can think of and I love them all.

Working on a one to one basis, some customers bring two or three at the same time, which is fine but generally I groom one dog at a time, this means that the dog doesn’t get stressed by other dogs and mine are in their own area as I walk them every day, so they don’t interfere with any of my customers.

I am proud to trade as ‘Grooming with Care and Kindness’ as I am very patient and treat dogs with respect never putting them through anything that would stress or hurt them, therefore I do have dogs that other groomers have turned away, one of my customers jokes that her dog has an ASBO.  But he is fine with me and I have no problems at all.

At the end of my second year, April 2007 I expanded into the collar and lead business, I have a first class supplier Mirage from America, a small but very hard working company who manufacture and I have been trading with them for over two years now,  I love working from home and my dogs appreciate that too.

I have a very large range of collars, leads and harnesses and can take orders for any not in stock.   All of my customer that have purchased my products so far have been over the moon with them and I have added comments from some of them attached.