Trusty Pet Pals was set up in 2010 by Oonagh O’Brien.

She felt there was a need for more pet care in Galway city and county outside of kennels and catteries. Although a great service, not all animals are suited to these environments. Animals in the home, these days, are now more like members of the family, than just pets. There needed to be other options for pet owners and it needed to be available to everyone in the county aswell as the city.

The methods used in dog training have also changed. The new science of positive reinforcement is now being used by many trainers throughout the world. These methods do not include choke chains, prong collars, radio fences or anything that will cause discomfort to your dog.

The methods used at Trusty Pet Pals are all positive reward based methods.


Growing up, Oonagh’s family home always had rescue pets. And with parents who share her passion for animals, no stray animal was ever turned away from their door. They were nursed back to full health and then rehomed or released.

She now has two rescue cats (Jess and JD) and three rescue dogs (Harvey, Arnie and Benny) from MADRA. Harvey is a boxer cross, Arnie is a terrier cross, Benny is a rottweiler and all three are at doggie daycare everyday to play with the other dogs. Oonagh has volunteered for the GSPCA. She has travelled to Namibia in Africa to study animal behaviour and to volunteer and work with wildlife. While there, she worked with domestic animals aswell as wildlife, from the biggest lions and baboons to the smallest of meerkats.

 

Since starting Trusty Pet Pals, Oonagh’s love for working with animals has grown even more, due to all of the wonderful and some quite quirky animals she has met.

Oonagh is currently studying for her FETAC level 6 in canine obedience and training with Dog Training Ireland, and will further her studies into companion animal behaviour. She is also certified in canine first aid.

Oonagh regularly attends seminars in pet care, covering a wide variety of topics including pet nutrition and diseases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet our Dog Trainer, Noel Doherty.

Noel runs Good Dog Dog Training. He is a Qualified Dog trainer. He has a fetac level 6 award in obedience and dog training from Dog Training Ireland.

He has been training dogs professionally for the past 2 and a half years; he runs group classes for adult dogs and puppies as well as working with dogs and their owners in the home. The methods used are strictly positive reward and absolutely no aversive training methods are employed.

He is currently studying to take his APDT (Association of Professional Dog Trainers) qualification. And will start studying canine and animal behaviour with COAPE (Centre of Applied Pet Ethology) during the summer of 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you see Noel and Darby out and about or in with us at Trust Pet Pals, be sure to ask about any dog training issues you may have, there is nothing he likes more than talking to people (and their dogs) about their dogs and the little problems they might be having.

 

 

 

 

 

Meet our Pet Groomer, Eilis Keady

Eilis is a top class groomer. She trained and became a professional groomer with John Madden of Woodstock, Moycullen Road. Eilis is also available to give our clients professional advice on issues relating to their dogs skin, hair, weight and diet. Eilis has excellent attention to detail and will always discuss each clients requirements in detail before commencing any groom.

Eilis is fantastic with dogs and will give extra time to the more nervous dogs to ensure their grooming experience is a good one.

All of our clients are repeat customers and are delighted with the consistant high standard of Eilis’ work. Book your dog in now to be pampered by Eilis!