The co-owner of Animal Attraction in Cumberland St, along with partner and fellow co-owner David George, is retiring almost 19 years after opening the “mini zoo”.
It had been “incredibly enjoyable” running the pet store for nearly two decades, she said.
“It’s just the fact that I love to go to work in the morning, and not everyone can say that.
“And I still love to come to work every morning.
“The whole thing has just been amazing.”
She began the business when she was almost 50 years old.
She had always been surrounded by lots of animals and owned a small farm for many years.
“My view then was if I don’t do it now, I’ll be turning 60 wishing I’d done it.
“So I just ran with it and here we are now.”
Owning a pet store was a dream job for a lot of people, but the lifestyle did not suit everyone, she said.
The morning routine usually included cleaning all the cages, enclosures and fish tanks, feeding the animals and vacuuming bird seed off the floor.
“It can be never ending.”
But she loved “the pace and the people” that came with working at the store.
The business, which is for sale, moved from its Crawford St premises to Cumberland St last year, and had been going “extremely well” since.
Moving on from Animal Attraction was a bit sad, but exciting as well.
“It’s time to do my own thing.”
