Meet Zoë Kelley | Ethical Dog Breeder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zoë Kelley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zoë, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My whole life, I’ve had a deep passion for animals. I remember being very small and begging for new pets — kittens, puppies, fish — anything! We once raised flying squirrels that had been abandoned by their mother and I hand fed them for weeks through the night. Once I was older, I realized a conventional 9-5 career didn’t fit my personality type or lifestyle. My love for furry faces led me to research a career in purposeful dog breeding. I wanted to do it ethically, with a slant to helping people! Thus, the idea of breeding therapy dogs was born. We started KelleyDoodles with almost all of our savings and were terrified it wouldn’t work. It was a huge risk but the Lord has blessed us tremendously!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When I dreamt up KelleyDoodles, I knew I wanted to be more than just your average “dog breeder.” I had an idea of creating the perfect dog to excel in any home, and also be a great candidate for therapy work. I started brainstorming things that would make the best pet — calm temperaments, less shedding or drool, and gorgeous coloring that no one else had. Genetics and breed types came into play much more than I expected!

Some things that make us different? Our puppies are raised in our home, fully health tested, and come in the most beautiful coloring imaginable! Not to mention being cherished while they’re with us. They get snuggled and kissed daily! I think with a breeding business like this, it’s easy to look at profit and only care about that. But the reality is, there are tons of dogs all over the country being raised and sold for profit… we strive to create a different experience entirely. Our dogs are so much more than pets to us; they’re family!

But my gosh, we learned some hard lessons on the way. Probably the biggest mistake was realizing that not all breeders follow the same code of ethics and honesty that we do. We’ve purchased puppies for our program before that were very sick or had genetic health problems that were never mentioned — all huge losses for us!

The truth is, starting and owning a business is a combination of a whole lot of things. Success, struggle, trials, and triumphs! We’ve learned and grown so much over the years as we’ve taken on this “labor of love.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would explore the aquarium and zoo first of course — as the animal lover that I am! Don’t miss eating dinner at TWO Urban Licks and STK Steakhouse. For dessert, I would end up finding Sublime Donuts or swinging by Five Daughters Bakery in Ponce City Market! Rent bikes from here too and hit the Belt-line at sunset — it’s too pretty to miss!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Although this may sound cliché, my husband is the main reason I jumped into this wild career of raising doodle dogs in our home. Before dog breeding, I was a free lance photographer and loved it, but knew it wasn’t my lifelong job. Once we were married, we discussed pursuing other options and I dreamt up the idea of KelleyDoodles. He never once told me I was crazy for pouring thousands of dollars into a startup that may not succeed. It was a huge risk! I would also say that my parents encouraged my love for animals from a very young age. I remember my Dad bringing home baby snakes and turtles in his coffee cup to teach us about them!

Website: https://www.kelleydoodles.com/

Instagram: @kelleydoodles1

Facebook: @kelleydoodles