Unleashing a lifelong dream

Thursday 23 September 2021

After seven years working in the finance industry, one islander decided to move towards a fluffier form of clientele.

Just over two months ago, Senior Trust Accountant Erika Mahe decided to take a “big jump”, leaving behind the world of finance to set up her own 24/7 dog walking business.

It all started for Erika during lockdown, when she got a sausage dog, appropriately named Chorizo - or Rizz for short.

Pictured: Chorizo came into Erika's life during lockdown.

She lived out in St Martin at the time, having been diagnosed with epilepsy at the beginning of the year year which prevented her from driving.

Describing the experience as "isolating," Erika said her life was usually "working all day at a computer, probably during lockdown from 8 in the morning till 8 at night, not going really outside unless it was to walk my dog."

It was at this moment the first seeds of what was to become 'Rizz and Pals' were planted in her head, having just completed courses online in both dog first aid and basic training for Chorizo.

Pictured: The dog walking business has already been booked up until December, with Erika offering care at all hours.

She began to walk friends' dogs, as they had noticed many of their furry friends had some form of separation anxiety from being at home all the time during lockdown, leaving a "massive need" for dog sitters and walkers.

She did this with a helping paw from her Mum, Karen Bouchere, who drove Erika around to her different jobs, as her epilepsy prevented her from driving herself.

While they were doing these drives to pick up friends' dogs, the pair resolved that they could take this up as a full-time business.

Indeed, as restrictions began lifting and people started returning to the office, it came down to one question: "Do I really want to go back into the office or do I want stay with my dog?"

Pictured: Erika and border collie, Monty.

Choosing the latter option, Erika pursued the classic fantasy of many and gave up her day job to pursue her childhood dream.

"This is what I've said I always wanted to do when I grow up," Erika explained.

"But I am a grown up, I am 30 years old... [I was] worried about putting it off, because working in the finance industry... I have all my qualifications, and I'm used to it - so the jump was pretty big."

Erika needn't have worried about the jump - since they've started the 'Rizz and Pals' business, they've been inundated with requests, looking after a range of dogs from border collies to cockapoos to cavapoochons, and are now booked up through till the end of December.

With a creche set up in the garden, their home has become a pooch paradise, with the pair able to both walk dogs and visit homes to look after them 24/7, including overnight stays at other houses - the day before talking, she said she had worked from 08:00 through to 22:00.

Pictured: A particularly mischievous cavapoochon who took a dive in a jacuzzi. 

She credited some of the popularity to the 'pupdates' she publishes on their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram - such as when a cheeky cavapoochon took advantage of the jacuzzi being open for cleaning purposes, forcing Erika to dive in after him.

The other "lovely" element of the business which Erika described - beyond spending all day surrounded by dogs - was the time she gets to spend with her retired mother, who has now jumped back into action to help Erika out.

"During lockdown we didn't see each other a lot because of restrictions, so now I spend every single day with my mum," she remarked.

From sitting at a computer all day to being out and about with dogs and family, it seems that the last two months have been the unleashing of a life-long passion for Erika.