Tiarne Perkiss is living, breathing and working her passion in a new dog grooming salon that opened last weekend in Shellharbour.
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Ms Perkiss regularly shows dogs and the idea for the dog salon, called Perky Pooches, started when a school project made her realise she could turn a dream into reality.
But the inspiration goes back considerably further.
She was almost born at a dog show, according to her mother, Kim Perkiss.
"I was showing dogs with two weeks to go when my waters broke at Camden Ag show," Mrs Perkiss said.
"Seems she was destined to work with animals."
But it was when Ms Perkiss did a project in year 9 at Corpus Christi that she started planning what was to become the salon.
She has been running the dog grooming business from home for a while but the demand has been so high, she needed more space.
Ms Perkiss' original idea in year 9 was to start her own business selling dog tug toys and coats online.
During that project, she had to show production costs, advertising and distribution methods but her underlying dream was always to actually work with animals and that is what the grooming business is now allowing her to do.
When Ms Perkiss left Corpus Christi at the end of year 12, she acquired a part-time contract working at an animal shelter.
She worked hard because she loved animals, especially dogs, so much she wanted to save as much money as she could to purchase grooming tables, clippers, scissors and other items to set up her own dog grooming salon.
Perky Pooches now has more than 200 clients.
Ms Perkiss knows all her regulars by name and said it became easier to work with them the more they got to know her.
She was able to move the business out of home last weekend after her parents purchased a property at Unit 4, 17-19 Industrial Road, Oak Flats.
She started leasing the premises for her venture.
Perky Pooches boasts a state-of-the-art electric dog bath and grooming tables.
"I am very proud of what Tiarne has achieved in such a short while," Mrs Perkiss said.
Ms Perkiss became an expert at grooming from showing so many dogs in major competitions for many years and learning from the best in the world who come to Australia to judge such events.
Even during October, while preparing to open her salon, she competed in two grooming competitions in Sydney.
Recent results for her brown and white English springer spaniel, Saintly, included winning Best of Breed at the 2014 Canberra Royal Show.
He also placed fourth in a field of 15 dogs at the 2014 Sydney Royal Easter Show.
In 2013, Saintly's brother, Webster, was first at the 2013 Groomquest competition.
Visit perkypooches.com.