A Paw In The Right Direction

I am Louise and I am a registered veterinary nurse and owner of Louise’s Country Kennels, a new dog boarding and doggy daycare facility in Banteer.

I am originally from Bantry in west Cork, but moved to Banteer with my partner Ger and our dog Fenton in 2020. Our family has since grown and we now have two boys, another dog called Toffee, and our cat called Hiccup.

I was lucky enough to grow up with a family of pure animal lovers. We have always had dogs, cats, hens, ducks, donkeys, and goats. My friends always joked that we were the local pet farm. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to end up working with animals.

Louise’s dogs Toffee and Fenton enjoying the kennel space

I qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in 2011 and have been lucky enough to work in some of Ireland’s top veterinary hospitals in both Galway and Cork.

I worked in Galway for over 6 years as a general Veterinary nurse. There, I learned so much and grew my interest in surgical and dental veterinary nursing.

During my time there, I also fostered and re-homed 26 dogs for charities. It was just a passion of mine and I really enjoyed caring for these dogs who needed extra love, care, and training before we found them their forever home. It was by doing this that it planted the seed that one day, I would love to open a dog kennels.

I moved back down to Cork in 2018, where I began working as a surgical veterinary nurse in a referral hospital in Cork. Surgical nursing was an amazing opportunity, it was challenging but very rewarding. The main part of surgical nursing is having the responsibility for every patient going under anaesthetic. Every day, there was something new and exciting to learn. However, after starting our family, our priorities changed, and I decided it was the right time to take the leap and open Louise’s Country Kennels.

The Kennels consists of eleven large kennels, an indoor area for the dogs where they can play & relax, and a large dog run that I will be able to divide into 3 different sections.

My goal is to provide a safe, cosy, and fun environment for all my doggie boarders while their owners are away.

My main services include shortand long-term boarding, and a doggy daycare service where dogs will be cared for in a supervised secure environment where they can play and socialise with other dogs.

As a registered Veterinary Nurse, I also offer boarding for dogs who suffer from long term illnesses such as diabetes. I know how stressful it can be to leave a dog that needs some extra care, but I hope to offer people peace of mind knowing they are in safe hands with a veterinary nurse.

Another service I offer is post operative rehabilitation. This is where I can take care of your dog after they have undergone an elective/non-elective surgical procedure; this could be anything from being neutered or having a much more major procedure such as a Tibial Plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO). After such procedures, dogs need to be confined and medicated, and of course get some extra TLC. This can be a stressful time for owners trying to juggle work, family life, or keeping their dog in a confined area during recovery. I am here to take that extra pressure off and offer nursing care in my home for these patients.

For any questions, enquiries, or to book your dog in, call/WhatsApp me on 0851371841 or email me at louisescountrykennels@outlook. com.

Also you can follow me on Instagram or Facebook.