15/07/2024
I have thought long and hard before making this post on my business page but matters have forced me to go ahead unfortunately!!!
💔💔💔
I started this family business as animals have always been a passion of mine right from being knee high! At 16 years old I left the island to take up studies in animal care and went on to do veterinary nursing for a time.
After having a children , I decided to move back home to be closer to family and needing to earn a living, I thought what better way to earn my bread and butter doing something I've only ever wanted to do - working with animals!
So after much persuading by friends, I decided to take the leap and become self employed, and created furs, feathers and fins.
Unfortunately from day 1 of advertising, my business was attacked by certain people who didn't want me to succeed, due to their personal reasons (disgruntled ex friend)
It wasn't the start I hoped to see but did my best to put it behind me and continued to advertise in order to get the business going. And with the help and support of friends and the local community, (some I had already been working with in the capacity of animal care) business went from strength to strength and I gainned a fantastic set of customers - who may I add have become more than just customers! The pets and their owners became like family to me 💝
I even decided to jump back into the student saddle and took up animal care studies in my evenings while the children where in bed.
The courses I have taken have cost me 100s of £s out of my profits from work, but I felt this was a necessary step to make the business as successful as it could be! And to make sure I was top of my game and could provided up to date knowledge and the best care I could give to all the animals I've been working with. Because like I said, animals are my true love and passion!
Despite the rocky start with the disgruntled ex friend , I continued to advertise my business and update on all the new qualifications I was gaining. And as everyone knows, to get a business off the ground, advertising is the best way to let people know we are here and what we can provide (2nd to good references from existing customers)
Unfortunately this continued to attract negative attention from those wanting to see the business and myself fail 😢
When this didn't have the desired effect, the perpetrators decided to make false allegations against myself and my business and made false claims using the social media platforms I was using to advertise! And they took it even further and started making false reports to police and spca!
The worst reports against me (again they posted these on local social media pages naming myself) were that I had caused malicious damage to property, resulting in pets suffering injury and even reported me stabbing a horse 😭 Thankfully police and the local vets became involved and it was confirmed that no horses had been stabbed and certainly not by myself!!
This lead to me not wanting to advertise my services and I also tried to refrain from posting activities/jobs I took on with animals for fear of attracting their further attentions to my business.... So I simpley stopped advertising and had to just reply on word of mouth from those that used my services.
Despite police warnings, things didn't stop there and my some of my existing customers were approached directly by the perpetrators with these false claims, in order to lose me work.
Thankfully my existing customers were very supportive and they never lost faith or trust in me, which in a business like this, trust is everything!! Just like we vet people who take on the care of our kids, we also have to have huge trust in who we leave our beloved pets with as they are our babies too!
As you can imagine this was devastating to see and hear my love and passion for animals being trashed and my business negatively affected.... As this did put some potential customers off that didn't know me personally! So although my existing customers were supportive and I never lost any of them, I was still losing some potential customers and that is not good for building a successful business!
There have been times I have seriously thought about just giving everything up in the hope that by doing this, the harassment would stop! But with the massive support of my customers and members of the local community I kept on going!
And so I come to the main reason for this post!!
The toll of the harrassment has resulted in the decline of my health at present and made it very difficult to keep going until this situation is finally resolved and my health improves. And for me to be not only at my best but to also give 100% to all my clients, 2 and 4 legged 💔.
This in itself has been heartbreaking to admit and there have been months of tears, frustration and indesionsion on the best course of actions to take to resolve this nightmare I find myself in!
So I have been in the process of contacting my customer, to let them know I have had to take a step back from work FOR THE TIME BEING! I am by no means beaten, as my passion and dream of working with animals is stronger than the desire of those wishing to see me fail!!
Apologies if there are any customers I have not yet contacted to update you 🙏😔
So to confirm, we are at present, taking time out from work, although we honor all the pet sitting jobs we have already agreed too!
Once my health is improved I will let you all know when it's business as usual... We haven't yet decided if we will reband 🤔!!
In the mean time I will continue to work hard at my studies and take time out with my own beautiful family, which includes my own horses, cats, dog and reptiles ❤️🥰❤️🩹
And hopefully once I return to work I with not only be able to give 110% too, but will have further qualifications to add to my belt ☺️
Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all my valued customers and members of the community in their continued support.
P.s Friends/customers, keep the kettle warm for when I come to get my dose of animal cuddles with my best animal pals😁🤗
