When Actions Speak Louder Than Words


(Above, left to right): Anthony, Russell, Jonathan, Olivia, Natalie, Jesse and MD.


Photography by Carol Moorhead Photography


one’s desire to work around dogs and be successful at it. Pablo Picasso said, “The meaning of life is


T 50 THE NEW BARKER


to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Surrounded by a group of dogs, the entrepreneur may one day stop to assess her perfect situation. It’s at this moment when she may realize a desire to want to do something more with her life. For Natalie Connor, founder and owner of


Love My Dog Resort and Daycare, that wasn’t exactly something that occurred right away. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Masters from the University of Tampa, Natalie was keenly focused on build- ing a new concept for dog daycare from the ground up. The hands-on owner/operator not only oversaw the construction of the two state-


by Anna Cooke


he underlying beauty of working around dogs is that it can spark an ember in us we didn’t even know existed. There is such joy in fulfilling


of-the-art St. Petersburg locations of Love My Dog, she continues to run them like a tight but smooth sailing ship with the help of her competent, caring staff. Natalie is a problem-solver and when


she noticed several local area shelters were struggling with adopting out their senior dogs, she stepped in to offer assistance. After assessing the situation, Natalie developed the Diamond Dog Club in 2015 to help several Tampa Bay area shelters find homes for dogs who are over seven years old. In the program, shelter dogs receive advanced health screenings, funded by Love My Dog. The adopter also receives two weeks of free daycare, three waterpark visits and a grooming at the resort for their dog. Shelters currently partnering with Love My Dog in the Diamond Dog Club program include SPCA Tampa Bay, Humane Society of Pinellas and Friends of Strays. A few years ago, Natalie finally took stock of her life. It was good, but could it be better?


www.TheNewBarker.com


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