Have you found your way into the pet industry as a second, third or fourth career?

Did you once dream of escaping your old job to follow your passion?

Karen Maher, a dog trainer and behaviourist and founder of Maher and Hound, felt the same. 

After 20 years working in London in fashion PR, Karen ditched the City for country life and now works as a successful dog trainer, specialising in rescue dogs. 

She featured in the Telegraph earlier this year sharing the story behind her career change.

In this episode she shares insights to her fashion PR background, including meeting actress Jane Horrocks who played Bubble in Ab Fab - the iconic show about publicist Edina Monsoon, played by Jennifer Saunders.

Plus how her own rescue dogs inspired her business Maher and Hounds.

And how with social media and the need for so much online content, there has never been a better time to raise awareness of your pet business.

Key timings in this episode:

1.25: About Karen Maher 

1.47: Karen shares her rescue dog stories 

2.22: Karen’s fashion PR background

3.48: How Karen's first dog ended up in the press

4.33: Leaving London for the countryside and adopting rescue dogs 

5.18: How her Aunt's terminal diagnosis made her realise life is too short  

7.00: Taking her pet business full time 

7.10: Background of Tiggy her reactive rescue terrier who had been used for ratting and hunting 

9.00: Getting Fred her dog who inspired the business 

10.30: Karen’s Telegraph interview talking about Tiggy the Jack Russell 

11.37: Working in fashion and Ab Fab’s Bubble’s appearance in her office

12.30: Working with Alexandra McQueen and the fashion business now 

13.25: Setting up Maher and Hound

15.55: What life is like now compared to living in London

18.33: Working with street dogs and rescue dogs - giving them their life back

21.00: How Karen builds up clients confidence and help them with their dog through being

 kind and compassionate 

23.18: How using PR skills and social media helped Karen’s business 

27.00: If you don't have anything nice don’t say anything at all

28.00: Sharing her own dogs as case studies and how her Hunting hound learnt to recall 

31.00: How social media helps boost her pet business  

34.00: Being featured in the Telegraph and how it helped build her profile

36.39: Understanding pet parents and being kind to clients 

38.29: Karen’s PR wish list for her business, including local press 

41.20: How there’s so many media opportunities out there for pet business owners 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Karen in the Telegraph: I quit my career to follow my heart and I’ve never looked back 

Karen's website: Maher and Hound

Follow Karen on Instagram: Maher and Hound

If you found this episode helpful, you might like How to write a press release for your pet business or How to find stories in your pet business.