Origin Story: The five epiphanies in my life that led me to a career for dogs
By: Jennifer Yeo
Tags: Dog Adoption, Life Lessons, Dogs, Entrepreneur, Career Change

School, dogs, offices, wearing suits, big corporate institutions, secondments, travel, expatriating… Who have I become today? Google me. I’m on LinkedIn and you won’t need more introduction. Keep on clicking next page, next page, after finding the pageant queen, the lawyer, the woman who founded her own consultancy businesses naming after herself, you may just find my dog blog, the Japanese Spitz Blog.

Behind this image, I have recognised that many seeds have been planted throughout my life. Just like yours. I have been shaped to be who I need to be for my mother, my family members, to meet social expectations and how to be accepted to strive in the corporate world.

But at some point, I started to ponder, who am I in essence? Why do I have the inner burning desires for more despite my corporate climbing success and why does it keep coming back to pets? Over the years, the fire kept burning inside me until I said, enough is enough, “Jennifer, you need to just go for it!”. That feeling since 2009, was unexplainable, but I felt a revelation in me and I liked that feeling.

Ephiphany #1 : “I can adopt a dog to save a dog”

My fond memories were at my grandparents’ house because I spent most of my childhood days living with them. It’s a corner house in a low-medium income neighbourhood in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They always had dogs although our dogs never get to spend time at home with us. They were supposed to be house guard dogs. They were chained dogs during the day but unchained at night to so-called “guard”.

Years later, my family moved overseas to Melbourne, Australia. I was 11 and when I went to my friends’ house, they had family dogs too but their dogs live at home and slept with them. Their dogs were friendly and it was beautiful to the point that I was envious. I realised that my childhood dogs did not live the way they should’ve, which made me feel a little cheated.

Something inside me decided that I needed to make up their bad deeds and karma.

That summer after I turned 21, I went to my local Pound House. I adopted a dog and I guess I wanted to earn more points so I chose the most pityful-looking dog ever. His name was Rocky and he was a young Jack Russell Parson with a terrible cross-bite. Rocky’s story was that he lived with his father and they were both abandoned in the owner’s backyard. To get to know Rocky, the Pound House allowed me to walk him around the area. Rocky’s tail was wagging and I really felt happy because he looked happy.

No one told me the downside of adopting a dog. Sadly, Rocky was extremely unhappy when he came home to live with us. I think he was really depressed. There was nothing that I could do to make him chirpy, bouncy nor present. He was quiet, uninteresting and his tail was rarely wagging. On our 10th day, I was convinced to request for an exchange at the Pound House.

No surprise, the Pound House was unimpressed when they saw Rocky back again. They turned us down so I called upon the Manager. The Manager came down and was more emphathetic (thank goodness) — my genuine tears worked. She authorised a dog exchange and the staff members reluctantly allowed me to choose another dog. Talk about awkward.

They banned me from all Jack Russell breeds, so fine, I chose a female grey fluffy spitz about 1 year old. She was an unclaimed lost dog and was energetic and playful, unlike Rocky.

I decided to name her Ella, after a local beauty spa company, simply because I liked the name. Turns out after a bath, Ella was was white, not grey with brown ears, which was very adorable. When she came home, she was so happy that her face had to be resting next to mine. She was attached.

Rocky was adopted immediately on the same day. I felt very relieved that someone else will give Rocky what he needed, that I could not.

Ephiphany #2 : “Greater education is needed to ensure people make responsible decisions prior to buying or adopting a puppy or dog”

I needed education about dog adoption. The questions I asked at the Pound House was like a little kid speaking to Santa’s little helpers, “what time do dogs sleep?” and “what time do they eat?”, and then I’d get interviewed with a few questions about my home set-up, then sign some papers and collected my dog a few days later.

Was that enough? Could the process be better in order for adopters to understand the dogs they are adopting?

The Pound House is no place any dog should be in. It was a dog prison and the effect it had on both Rocky and Ella, while contrasting, remained with them.

For Rocky, he found it hard to connect with people as all of his life, he only knew one dog, his father. He was shy but not aggressive. Ella, on the other hand, had separation issues. She was everywhere I was, the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen and she will wake up every time I leave, even in the middle of the night. She was a stressed dog and when I had to travel for work, she refused to eat. She even shivers everytime she smells the Pound House and because of that, she did not finish her Obedience Training School.

I got off the hook but not everyone did. Irresponsible adoption and even irresponsible purchasing of puppies still happens today.

Ephiphany #3 : “Fresh food should be staple for pets”

Ella was three years old and she started puking her meals. She would be excitedly walking and then puking her serving of kibbles. Unfortunately it was not sparing occasions. We soothe her tummy with fresh chicken broth and rice — it was Doctor’s order, and transitioned to prescription of vet-approved kibbles. She puked those too.

I got a cat too, a few years later. She loves eating her kibbles but as a kitten, she consistently had bloody stool. We soothe her tummy with fresh chicken mince and pumpkin. Doctor’s prescription was also vet-approved canned food but she still had bloody stool. So I stopped the kibbles and swapped for fresh meat mince and pumpkin. It took about 3 months for her to return to normal and make healthy normal poop.

From then on, our pets eat fresh food every day.

Ephiphany #4 : “I want to be an entrepeneur!”

I got myself a career when I was 21. In fact, I was lucky enough to get a permanent placement before I graduated from University. Every new thing I learnt, my mind was going, “I will consider this when I start my business one day”.

Then it got busier and busier, and busier. Some days, I remembered to take mental notes, some days, I was caught up with the pressure and deadlines. There were days I wanted to quit. I even considered returning to University after my first six months with the firm so that I can change my career to be a secondary school teacher.

I was crying to my mum and she yelled, “Don’t be silly. You are not changing career!”.

“I didn’t. 11 years later, I’m still in the same damn career!”.

Along the way though, I dabbled and rebelled. Of course, when we are entrepeneurs at heart, we do. I became a Japanese Spitz dog breeder and I set-up my own policy on finding good homes to new puppy owners. They all underwent stringent interviews and I visited their homes too. I even made my own Puppy Guide for new pawrents.

When I moved to Singapore, that fire inside me was still burning. When it finally flared, I found every excuses that was solid enough to quit my career to start my own business. So after almost 6 years of corporate life, I quit my career without another job and it felt great. The weight was off my shoulders and I slept and slept, and slept. Then finally went to the stores and bought me a laptop, started a website and operated my first incorporated business, Meat Bowls producing and selling organic food for dogs and cats.

Very soon, I was broke and was living off my credit card. I spent my money on travel because I could. I didn’t have “making money” in my mind. Instead, I was excited to help dogs gain a better live through their stomach. I met my customers and potential customers. I visited their homes and I also met some at exhibitions. I enjoyed every single moment of it but reality was fast approaching and I was seeing myself soon strapped for cash to put a roof on my head and feed myself.

Getting my job back was not easy. In fact, I didn’t get my job back. My connections helped me put my foot back in the door but the rest was up to me to close the deal. While that was going, the bank was calling me to offer me loan deals. I said, “call me back in three months” while I was selling my personal things for cash, from sunglasses to handbags. They called me back three months, and by then, I had to take the deal of $10,000 for six-months.

I finally got my career back after 10 months of break. I was on-track to pay off my loan — though it was not easy. The bank called me again but this time, it was not an agency, it was Head Office. She spent one hour guiding me on how to manage my finance with another loan. This time, $10,000 for 12-months. I needed that loan.

The bank was not greedy, at least not the lady who spoke to me. Her intentions was good and she helped me manage my financial stress. I was able to look at my bank statements without worrying every month again. That feeling when I paid-off my 12th installment plan, was like cleansing. I celebrated!

Ephiphany #5 : “A career equips me with skills I need to become an entrepeneur”

This is where I bring you my fifth ephiphany. By then, I ceased operating Meat Bowls to focus on my corporate career. Sure, I did not end up living in a shoebox and I was not couch surfing and maybe you read this and said to yourself, “she chickened-out”or “she did not hustle enough”. You are right. I did. I had to make a call when to stop because I was running out of cash and spending too much credit. I knew inside me that I needed help to sharpen my skills so that I can come back even better.

Remember when I said at the beginning, I have been planting seeds? The seeds from returning to corporate taught me how to operate a business, coaching, training, people management, recruitment, managing resignations, legal and risk management, developing business propositions and helped me strenghten my network. It has open me more doors, choices and more fall-back plans too, when I need them.

11 years down, I’ve grown up and I’m different because I’m stronger. My life mission gets refined every day. The root from the seeds I planted are stronger and thicker so that today, I own a great career while staying true to my passion for dogs. I get to educate pawrents to help save dogs lives through my voice and blog. It’s the best of both worlds.