Former office manager takes on a pet project

Stephanie Calvert-Smith and her husband Patrick, who live in Silsden, have taken over the Dogsbody & Friends business in Kirkgate. It is a new venture for the couple. Silsden-born Stephanie has opted for a lifestyle change after 30 years working in offices, the last 15 as operations manager at Hallmark Cards in Bradford.

Stephanie will be full-time in the shop while Patrick will continue his job as a systems developer for medical equipment manufacturer DePuy International. The Kirkgate shop, which includes dog grooming, will operate as before. It had been run since 2008 by Emma and Andrew Stead, who are continuing their pet and grooming business in Skipton. The Kirkgate premises have been in retail use since the late 1800s and became a pet shop in 1957 -- see my post of December 7th, 2012.