It’s hard not to get emotional this month. April is bittersweet this year: Liberty Pooch turns 10 years old, but it is also the1 year anniversary of Poyo’s passing and his birthday - he would have been 14.
It is very difficult for me to talk about Poyo, but I can’t talk about Liberty Pooch’s anniversary and not talk about the impact that he has had on Liberty Pooch (and me), as they are intrinsically tied together. Even though it has been a year since he passed, it still feels fresh. I feel like I relive the day and days leading up to it every single day. The impact on Rob and I has been monumental.
10 years ago, I lost my cousin Michelle – she was Poyo’s original mom. What I thought then was the lowest point in my life, led me to make the decision to quit my job, take a leap of faith and pursue something that made me happy: hanging out with dogs (especially Poyo).
I modelled my entire business around the love and care we had for Poyo. He was accustomed to a certain lifestyle with my cousin: a lifestyle I was more than happy to support. We aimed to treat every dog like we treated Poyo, like they were our precious children. I wanted to attract a clientele of likeminded individuals who were dedicated to their pets and build a community around them to further enrich their experience as a Liberty Pooch Pawrent and Liberty Village Resident. Before I got Poyo, I didn’t know anybody in Liberty Village: it can be a lonely place. That all changed as soon as I became a dog mom. Liberty Pooch helped me build a community not just for the dogs but also for their pawrents. We would host so many extracurricular activities, some with the dogs and some without. We have received many awards and accolades over the years, but more rewarding is all of the clients we have met that have become lifelong friends (even after they moved away).
As any business owner will tell you, there will be highs and inevitable lows. We were very fortunate to have gone a long time without experiencing anything too bad up until the world shutdown because of Covid. Up until covid, our business had grown year over year. We had great clients, great dogs, and a great community. Covid hit and like many others, our business was decimated and even now, has not even come close to how business was before: we hope one day it will be. The Liberty Village Community is constantly changing and evolving. Many of our clients moved and each time they leave, they take a piece of my heart with them.
Over the past 10 years, I have taken millions of steps, raised hundreds of puppies, and walked more dogs than I could count. I love what I do, love the dogs, and love our community. I have met some of my closest friends through this business and I am grateful for that. It has provided Robert and I many cool opportunities related and not related to the pet industry. Speaking of Robert, none of this would have been possible without him.
Robert joined me 2 years into the business when he saw that the business was growing substantially, and I was getting overwhelmed. He quit his job to support me Full Time. Not only does he have a magical way with the dogs, but he is also better at the admin stuff than I am. He is the COO and CFO of LP and as difficult as it may be to live and work with your spouse, I am grateful that Rob has always supported me and allowed me to grow the business even more. He is my rock, my human calculator, and I couldn’t imagine doing this with anybody else.
I would be remiss if I didn’t make special mention of Rebekah or as we warmly refer to her as Auntie Bekah. Rebekah has been a pack leader with LP for almost 6 years. She has been a constant at LP and the most reliable, dedicated, and loyal team member we could have ever asked for. Her positive spirit, can-do attitude, and enthusiasm have been an invaluable part of our LP story. She goes “above and beyond” and we feel lucky every day to have such a wonderful human be a part of our family.
I don’t know what the next 10 years will hold, but I hope that Liberty Pooch will continue making a difference in dogs lives and that I can cuddle many more puppies to come.
Thank-you all for following us on this journey,
Helga
