There are moments in life when everything shifts — the way you think, the way you move through the world, the way you work. For me, that shift was because of one dog. My first dog as an adult. My soul dog. Harley.
Harley and I shared a life full of highs and lows, always side by side, guiding and comforting one another in ways only a dog and their person truly understand. Looking back, I can see how he quietly nudged me along my path, offering signs I didn’t always recognise at the time. But as he reached the end of his life, those signs became impossible to ignore.
When I worked in a charitable organisation as a learning and development professional, Harley often joined me on training sessions across the UK. He’d sit beside me as I designed content, delivered workshops, and evaluated their impact. Participants would relax the moment he entered the room. He had this grounding presence—an ability to sense who needed him most and simply be with them. Engagement improved, conversations deepened, and people felt safe.
One day, it clicked: Harley wasn’t just my therapy dog — he was a therapy dog for everyone he met. He held space for people in a way that words never could. And for me, through every difficult emotion I’ve ever carried, he was there — listening, grounding, offering presence without judgement.
When Harley passed away, my purpose became clear. I wanted to build something that honoured the connection we shared. I wanted to help people experience the same quiet, powerful connection that a dog can offer — if you’re willing to listen to their whispers.
Then came another sign through my job. A painful moment, but also a doorway. I had a purpose now, and life was telling me it was time to begin again. I wanted to start my own business. Fear came, of course. I’d never run a business before. And losing Harley at the same time made everything heavier. But beneath the fear was a steady inner strength, a sense that Harley had already shown me the way. I just needed to trust it.
So I began. Months of researching, learning, shaping ideas, imagining what my business could bring to the community. I drew inspiration from everywhere — my love of animals, reading and storytelling with my boys, long walks in nature. I remember the exact moments when ideas sparked to life. I even took photos to anchor those memories, to hold onto that feeling of pure happiness.
At home, our other dog Dylan — our gentle, soulful cockador — was grieving too. He had lost his mentor, his best friend, his constant. We supported each other through that shared loss. And as I watched him, I realised something: Dylan had his own purpose waiting. His temperament, his sensitivity, his desire to connect… he was ready.
As we began our PAWS therapy dog training, something beautiful happened. Dylan and I started building a new kind of relationship. Harley and I had fourteen years of shared experiences; Dylan and I were creating our own story, step by step, learning each other in a deeper way. He is very much my partner’s dog, but this journey is becoming ours too. We are learning to become a therapy dog team—together.
And that is how The Story Dog began.
This blog will follow our journey:
• how we grow into a therapy dog partnership
• how I transition from employment into self‑employment
• how slowing down has helped me see the world differently
• how dogs, stories, and emotional wellbeing weave together into something meaningful
Thank you for being here at the very beginning. There is so much more to come.
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