2025 has flown by and we've had such a great year welcoming new and old friends at New Dawn, with more special memories made for both humans and hounds! Every day is a real gift for me to spend it with such amazing dogs; all with such different personalities, I still have to pinch myself that my dream of working with dogs is now a reality and such a big part of my daily life.

I have some exciting plans and opportunities for New Dawn in the pipeline for next year, with the aim that it will help future proof my service. I'll share these additions with you as and when they happen in 2026. My little holiday retreat; the shepherd's hut, has done well this year and I'm very excited to launch a charity artwork fundraiser, where all proceeds raised will be donated to Cornwall Hospice Care and The British Heart Foundation. If you'd like to find out more, keep reading! 

My availability for dog boarding / adhoc day care bookings for 2026 are now available on my website - link above or found within the 'Services' - 'Overnight boarding & day care' section.

Slots are filling up very fast for next year with some dates already fully booked. If you have dates in mind, please get in touch and I can reserve them for you. I am happy to hold dates until you have finalised your plans. If I get another person enquiring for the same dates, I will conact you to check your dates are still needed and ask you to confirm and secure your booking by paying the 20% deposit.

For anyone that has already given me confirmed dates to book and hasn't had a booking confirmation, I will send these out in the new year. Feel free to chase me if you want your confirmation sooner. ​

A big thank you for all of your support this year. New Dawn wouldn't be what it is without your gorgeous dogs or those choosing to visit our little holiday retreat. 

We wish you all a howliday season full of joy and tail wags and hope your New Year is furry and bright!  

Thanks to Sarah at Checkered Photography who took our photos 

I'm sure many visitors to our home realise that our Ring doorbell is a real trigger for many of our resident dog's staying and especially Charlie who is the main culprit for barking, when the button is pressed!

Therefore, I'm asking all clients that 'drop off' or 'pick up' dogs for boarding or day care, to message or call when you have arrived outside. This helps me to not pace the corridors to reach the door before the bell is pressed and allows me to keep all the dogs calm.

​You're very welcome to park up and wait in your car on the tarmacked area, alongside the house and I'll be out pronto to meet you; either from the main front gate or back. So far, this change has made a huge difference to our residing guests and has created a much nicer welcome for all our arrivals and new visitors.   

Just a reminder to regularly check your dog has got its identity tag on its collar. If their tag is ever missing prior to boarding or day care with me, it's no problem, but if you are aware, please make me aware so I can make up a temporary one.

Did you know you can be fined up to £5,000 if your dog does not wear an identification tag?

Find out more about the legal requirements for dog ID tags, including what information should be included on a dog tag.

I have recently updated all of my dog registration and consent forms and at some point in 2025, I will be inviting each of you to check that you and your dog's details are up to date and to provide any additional information within the form, which ensures I have all the latest information about your dog(s) and ensures my insurance covers their stay.  

If you'd like to view or even complete the new forms before I message each of you individually, you're very welcome to do this. You can access each of them below: 

Client Registration Form​
​It will take you approximately 15 minutes to read and complete this form.
You will need all your dog's general information and your contact details including a guardian that can take ownership of your dog while you are away. 

Veterinary Release AND Dog's Vaccination / Parasite Treatment Record
​It will take you approximately 8 minutes to read and complete this form.
You will need their medical history notes and details / dates of when they had their last vaccinations.

Off - Lead Consent Form
If you're happy and would like your dog to be walked off lead (when safe to do so) you will need to complete this form, which will take you approximately 2 minutes to read and complete. Signing this ensures your dog will be covered by my insurance. 

Medication Permission Form
If your dog is on medication, you will be asked to complete this consent form which will take you approximately 5 minutes to complete, depending on how much medication your dog is taking.

Our lovely hand built, cosy 'New Dawn' shepherd hut launched on AirBnB in July. Take a look here for full details and pictures: www.airbnb.com/h/anewdawn

Please share it with any of your friends or family that might be in need of a relaxing sanctuary to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It's super dog friendly and makes the perfect getaway to the heart of Cornwall.

It's also been a pleasure this year to support one of my much loved charities - Greyhounds4U, who I gifted a free 'two night break' prize for their 25th anniversary charity auction. 

Every dog that comes into my home will always be loved and cherished. I wanted to dedicate an area to remember any 'New Dawn - Cornwall' dogs, that have passed over to Rainbow's Bridge by including their name and age here. I'll always have a place in my heart for every dog past or present. Run free Betty, Boris and Wills that have sadly left us this year and Willow and Molly from previous years. Sending extra love to their families. 

To Michelle and all the girl's at Muddy Paws - Cornwall for another fantastic year. It's a pleasure working in partnership with you!

After 2 years of study and assessments, I'm really pleased to share that I've passed my Diploma in 'Complete Canine Care' with a Merit from the British College of Canine Studies.

Having this qualification means a lot to me. I also hope that it helps to add another level of reassure for my clients, so that when I provide a service for them, they feel confident that the care I provide is of the highest standard I can give.
​
There were 14 units which I had to pass each one before progressing onto the next covering the following:
• UNIT ONE – Early Days With Mum
• UNIT TWO – Canine Mind and Senses
• UNIT THREE – Pairing Dogs and Owners
• UNIT FOUR – Breed and Behaviour
• UNIT FIVE – Getting Introductions Right
• UNIT SIX – The Importance of Socialisation
• UNIT SEVEN – The Importance of Boundaries and Rules
• UNIT EIGHT – Health, Grooming & Nutrition
• UNIT NINE – Why Dogs Need Exercise
• UNIT TEN – Communication and Reading Body Language
• UNIT ELEVEN – Basic Training
• UNIT TWELVE – Common Problems and Issues
• UNIT THIRTEEN – Understanding Aggression
• UNIT FOURTEEN – The Influence of Human Personality

I’m taking part in 'Walkie's Together' fundraiser this September to raise funds and help save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer is the UK's second biggest cancer killer with more than 16,500 people dying annually of a disease that is preventable, treatable and curable.

The funds I raise will help to provide support and information to patients and their families, fund and support research into bowel cancer and support campaigns for early diagnosis and best treatment and care for all. 

I've been taking part in the Bowel Cancer UK Walk Together events since they began in 2017 and with the help of friends and family have raised to date, a total of £5,672.91.

I'm very aware finances are tight for everyone, so instead of asking for sponsorship, throughout September, I'll be sponsoring every dog £5 that is walked in September via my business 'New Dawn - Cornwall'  and donate it to the Bowel Cancer UK’s Walkie's Together fundraiser.

You can follow my progress and find out more via my business Instagram or Facebook page. 

For anyone that would like to make a donation, you can do this via my fundraising page:

Find out all about our lovely, cosy 'New Dawn' shepherd hut and what it has to offer you from our booking site on Airbnb! We've only been live since Saturday and we already have 4 bookings so get in quick if you want to secure some dates to visit. 

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and special offers.

My logo is finally complete! 

After a lot; and a mean a lot, of procrastination, I finally have a logo for New Dawn - Cornwall! 

There were many versions to work with but this one just seemed right. This is a real milestone right here for me!

Everything is slowly coming together and I hope (aiming) to be able to let the shepherd hut out from Easter.

Watch this space! New Facebook page coming shortly!   

In preparation of getting the Shepherd Hut holiday rental up and running this year, I've decided to reduce my weekly dog walking service. 

For those of you that are reading this and are existing clients; whose dogs I walk weekly, I'd like to thank you for your understanding and flexibility you've given me.  A group walk for existing clients will take place every Tuesday, from 23 January 2024, but only in the Newquay area. 

I am now offering a new ad-hoc 1 hour walk / drop in service, available 7 days a week, which can be arranged in advance, at a weeks notice or even within 24hrs notice, depending on my existing commitments.

To use this service your dog will:

• Need to meet me prior to any arrangements 
• Be well socialised with other dogs
• Completed the registration forms to become a client of New Dawn - Cornwall. 

If you're looking for a regular weekly dog walker, I can highly recommend Muddy Paws Cornwall, who I work in partnership with and whom have been working in the pet industry for over 10 years now and are fully insured and first aid qualified.  The owner; called Michelle, has a whole team of ladies on hand who cover different areas of Cornwall, so give her a shout to see if she can help. 

Although it was a hard decision to reduce my dog walking service, I'm very excited that the new chapter of New Dawn - Cornwall isn't too far away now. The actual Shepherd's Hut is finished inside and is looking fantastic, it's even had its first visitors to test it out! The final things to finish are the garden, which is going to have a fantastic patio with pretty lighting, a built in fire pit and barbecue. Plus it's going to be getting its own entrance and off road parking and will be dog friendly with a secure garden!

Holiday makers booking the hut will also be able to book doggy day care (in advance), so they can head out for a break on their own, while their dog has an adventure day with me and the pack. 

The best Christmas gift for us at New Dawn definitely has four legs, a wet nose and a wagging tail; which is lucky for us as we get to enjoy the company of dogs all year round - and not just for Christmas!  

I’d like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone for supporting my little business in 2023 and helping it to grow. 

This year has passed by so quickly and the new year is already looking busy, where we've already taken quite a few bookings for next year! So if you're reading this and already a client who may need my dog boarding services in 2024, please check my current availability to avoid disappointment and give me any provisional dates you may need so I can pencil them in. If or when I get another inquiry for the same dates, I’ll check with you first so you can decide if you would like to confirm your booking by making the 20% deposit.

Me, Charlie and Obi will be working through Christmas, but if we don’t see you before the BIG day, we wish all our existing or new clients to be, a relaxing Christmas and a Happy New Year xxx​

During September, I'll be walking for Bowel Cancer UK in memory of my husband Martyn who lost his battle with Bowel Cancer when he was only 34 years old. 

My dog's Charlie and Obi are walking with me and we will be clocking our miles through an app which will be logged  on our fundraising page:
https://fundraise.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/fundraisers/emmamatthews/walkies-together

Some of our boarding dogs and regular walkers may be with us when we're clocking up our miles so keep ypur eye out to see if they've helped woof us on! 

You can find out more about my story and fundraising activities for this charity at: 
https://www.memoriesofmarty.co.uk/never-too-young