A PASSION for dogs has seen a Worcester woman create a thriving business after starting the venture in her living room.

Dawn Inett began The Dog House in summer of 2006 and her business has become one of the most trusted dog grooming studios in Worcestershire.

Having left her job at a national charity, Dawn initially ran The Dog House from her living room but due to the success of the business, she and her staff moved to bigger premises at Blackpole Trading Estate, Worcester in September 2017.

The Dog House now employs 12 full-time staff and they offer dogs grooming, massage, daycare, a play area and a laundry service for beds, as well as training and advice sessions with experts.

Since the age of seven, Dawn has been dog mad and always wanted to turn her passion into her job. She would walk pet pooches in the nearby fields and set up her own agility courses for them, and dreamt of spending all day with dogs.

Now at the age of 45, as well as The Dog House, Dawn co-owns a Cairn terrier breeding programme ‘Carradine Cairns’, alongside her mother Rosemary Harrison.

Dawn quit her day job at a charity for people with disabilities just as she was offered a promotion, as she knew that the increasingly demanding role would leave little time to be with her dogs.

“My next career move would have been another position at the charity," Dawn told the Worcester News. "It required me to work 50-60 hours a week. I decided to not take the job and leave my current position. I gave up a great wage and a company car.”

But, of course, Dawn has no regrets.

She said: “Every day I wake up knowing I am doing what I love.

“All the way through my working life all I wanted was to be out the office, playing with my dogs. Now that dream is a reality, my life is dogs, dogs and more dogs.”

For more information, see thedoghouseworcester.co.uk or call Dawn on 01905 452078.