The Hope Hound Journey
Hey there, I’m Dan, the heart and soul behind Hope Hound, and I’m thrilled to share my personal journey of how it all began. Brace yourself – it’s a journey filled with ups, downs, and a lot of furry love.
Life can be a bit of a rollercoaster, right? I found myself caught up in the whole work, eat, sleep, repeat cycle, running an online Amazon business that, honestly, didn’t light a fire in my belly. It paid the bills, so I was content for a while. But then, out of the blue, life threw me a curveball – health issues hit me again. I’d been dealing with an autoimmune disease since my teenage years, so being “unwell” was something I’d gotten used to. But this time, it was different – extreme fatigue, brain fog, depression and a loss of motivation led to the downfall of my online business. Closing it down was tough and to make matters worse, my beloved dog, Nipper, passed away. It hit me really hard, and I found myself at a low point. Losing both my business/income and my beloved dog Nipper was a massive blow. It felt like my world was falling apart.
Honestly losing Nipper hit me the hardest. She was an integral part of my life. She’d been my rock, my companion through thick and thin. I’d nursed her through her own health battles, and her passing left a massive void in my life which I was struggling to deal with.
Depression set in, becoming this dark cloud over everything. Months of being unwell and unable to work gave me a chance to reflect. Something had to change. It was time for a purpose that brought joy and fulfilment. Not just money… Being brutally honest with myself, I recognised that my true happiness lay in my love for dogs. At this time I was desperate to rescue another dog, but found it very hard finding a bull terrier to rescue because at the time there were government restrictions stopping rescues rehoming dogs. But we got lucky and a wonderful rescue called Absolute Bull Terriers helped me rescue a beautiful young bullie called Leo (:
Leo’s arrival marked a turning point. He and Bonnie (my mums dog) quickly became friends, aiding in my recovery and giving me a positive focus. Day by day, I started feeling better, and optimism for the future crept in…. A ray of light started to appear all this darkness, the idea of Hope Hound began to take shape in my mind. What if I could turn my passion for dogs into a business? It started as a tiny spark – a way for me to channel my energy into something positive.
I envisioned a business that celebrated my passion for dogs, I loved the idea of making high quality, handmade unique dog products. Low quality, mass-produced dog gear seemed to be everywhere and I wanted to produce something way better.
So armed with my love for graphic design and making things with my hands, I set out to create a range quality products without cutting any corners. I wanted to create cool dog gear that I would be proud of and also bring a bit of joy, style, and hope to the lives of fellow dog lovers… The product development and planning became a way for me to turn a challenging chapter in my life into a new beginning.
But there was also a something in the back of my mind I had been wanting to do for some time. I wanted to find away to make a positive impact on dogs lives and if possible help as many rescue dogs as I could. Dog rescues were close to my heart, knowing the financial struggles they faced. I had rescued a number of dogs over the years and I saw first hand how hard it was for those rescues to operate.
Motivated by Leo and the positive changes, I decided it was time to kickstart my new venture – a handmade dog gear business…
My first creation? Handmade dog collars!
Admittedly learning the art of dog collar making took some time to master, but after six months of hard work, research, and development, ‘Hope Hound’ and my first collar was born!
Every collar here site is designed and crafted by me, using the highest quality materials. I believe dog collars should be both beautiful and practical, built to last. Every fabric pattern is unique, designed in-house and printed on high-quality robust canvas material right here in the UK. I only use high-quality hardware, reinforced with heavyweight UV-resistant thread, ensuring durability. All materials I use are vegan-friendly and easy to wash.
