Donna engineers a happy ending for her doggy daycare dream

After 21 years in engineering, Donna Barnes traded spreadsheets for squeaky toys, ploughing her savings into opening a doggy daycare centre with a difference. She spoke to YEP reporter Dennis Morton about setting up All 4 Paws in Guiseley - and the reaction she gets when clients turn up with their four-legged friends

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You left a career in engineering that you'd been in for 21 years. That must have been daunting. How did you go about opening the centre?

"It was a lifelong dream," said Donna. After two decades in my old job, I invested my savings to follow my love of dogs and opened the centre in June.

"I've always loved dogs, and I always wanted to do something with them.

"I wanted to do something really off the top, something that other people hadn't done before."

So what makes All 4 Paws different from other doggy darecare centres?

"The dogs can barely contain their excitement," said Donna. "They often drag their owners across the car park when they arrive!

"I wanted to do something really off the top, something that other people hadn't done before."

So what is different about your approach?

"All 4 Paws offers a structured, enrichment-focused daycare experience," said Donna. "A lot of daycares are just drop-off-dogs play all day and go home overstimulated.