Dog groomers doing a roaring trade as Nappy Valley becomes Yappy Valley

Could Stoke Newington’s demographic be changing? 

Once Stokey was dubbed ‘Nappy Valley’, owing to the large number of babies and toddlers, but a newly-opened dog grooming business says business is booming.

“It feels like there are less babies here than there used to be – maybe the dogs are taking over”, joked Daisy Dennis, founder of Daisy’s Dogs on Church St.

Jokes aside, the area has seen a sharp drop in birth rates and a surge in families leaving – several schools in Hackney have closed due to declining pupil numbers. And, according to a survey by UK Pet Food, dog ownership in London has skyrocketed to 49% of households.

Daisy opened her dog grooming business in December in what used to be Beaucatcher hair salon, completely refurbishing the space, adding a giant bath, hydraulic lifting tables and creating a boutique store where she sells pick and mix dog treats and a curated selection of dog accessories. The grooming business is already getting booked up and, with dog owners desperate to get their pooches trimmed, the heatwave is proving good for business.

Daisy’s career path has been an unusual one. She did a textiles degree and started working as an assistant stylist in the fashion industry but, faced with a 90-hour working week as her career began to blossom, she realised her heart just wasn’t in it and quit, finding work as a dog walker.  

After a short spell living in Cornwall, where she trained to be a dog groomer, she returned to London and worked as a mobile groomer, constantly eyeing Church St and dreaming of launching a bricks and mortar business here. When the space became available, she took out a government-backed loan and raised £10,000 via a Crowdfunder (promising dog grooming credits to investors).

She runs the business with her partner Liam and their Romanian rescue Tina is always by her side.  Her colleague Emma is also a professional groomer and the two of them are working flat out. Daisy still does a little professional dog walking but her colleague Rob does the bulk of the business’s walking now.

Daisy added: “We do everything from a little bath and freshen up to full grooming, we do hand-stripping of wiry dogs and ultra-sonic teeth cleaning. We have a little spa package for those wanting to give their dogs more of a pamper with a blueberry facial and nose and paw balm.  We do a lot of cute poodle trims with pompoms and other breed-specific cuts but in this heat, people are mainly just asking us to remove as much hair as possible.

“We’ve only been here a short while, but it feels like we belong. I’ve felt so welcomed by everyone. It seems mad that there hasn’t been a groomers on this street before.”

Coincidentally her dad, now aged 80, used to work in Stoke Newington Church Street for a toy manufacturer called Modern Products – based where Kitchen Provisions is now.

www.daisysdogs.shop