- Grooming, daycare, sleepovers and home visits, for the pets of Noosa and surrounds.
Hi, I’m Sandy, the heart behind Wagging Tails Pet Care. I’ve been caring for the much-loved pets of Noosa families for more than 15 years, offering a place where pets can feel comfortable, cared for and very much at home.
For the much-loved pets of Noosa
Every personality, every little need
Sunrise Beach, Noosa
Animals have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Even as a child growing up in New Zealand, I felt a natural pull toward them, a quiet understanding, a softness, a sense of companionship that always felt grounding and familiar. I started asking for a dog when I was five, and although my parents made me wait until my tenth birthday, the day I finally welcomed my first dog, a little Pomeranian named Truffles, is a memory I still hold close.
Our home was always full of pets, including cats, birds, rabbits and fish, but it was always dogs that felt like home to me. Animals were never just part of my childhood; they were part of my nature.
A few years after we welcomed Truffles into our home, my family moved to Australia for a time, and of course Truffles came with us. We only stayed for a year before returning to New Zealand, but that year left a lasting impression on me. I had experienced life in Australia, and even though I returned to New Zealand with my family, a part of me never really settled back there. As I grew older, I continued to carry a strong feeling that one day I would return.
When I left home to work and study some distance away, Truffles stayed with my parents, as by then she had become especially attached to my mum and it was the best place for her to be. I began building a life of my own, working in customer service, childcare and later in corporate roles. Through those years, though, the feeling that I wanted to return to Australia never really left me.
In my early twenties, I finally followed that feeling and moved back to Australia on my own. I didn’t have a big plan or know exactly what the future would look like. I simply knew that this was where I wanted to build my life.
As I settled into my new life in Australia, I found myself longing for a little companion of my own. Being away from my family, it felt like the right time to start looking for a dog, someone to share my new life with.
I took my time, visiting dog shows, meeting breeders and learning about different breeds, hoping to find one whose nature truly matched mine. It was the Cavaliers who stayed with me, their sweetness, their gentleness, their calm, soulful way of being. When I finally met the little black and tan girl who would become Abbie, I knew she was the one. I had no idea then how deeply she would shape my world.
Over the years, animals have continued to shape who I am and the way I care for others. They’ve taught me patience, compassion and a kind of quiet attentiveness that has become part of the way I live and work. My experiences working in childcare and later in corporate roles taught me how to connect with people from many different walks of life, to listen, understand and respond with empathy and care. Bringing those experiences together with my lifelong connection to animals has naturally shaped the gentle, individualised way I work today.
Once Wagging Tails was established, I decided to expand the ways I could care for the dogs who came to me by learning to groom. I spent a year learning with a local groomer before completing an advanced grooming qualification in Brisbane. Learning to groom gave me an even deeper understanding of the different needs of each dog and taught me to adapt my approach to suit their individual personalities, never rushing, always listening and always working with their nature rather than against it.
A few years into this work, while navigating some major changes in my own life, I was drawn to Reiki as a way of supporting myself through them. What began as something personal soon became something I felt deeply connected to, and I began to see how naturally Reiki could become part of the work I was already doing with animals. It felt right to offer Reiki as another way of supporting their wellbeing, and the people who love them.
Outside of my work with animals, I’m happiest in the quieter moments of life. I love travelling and exploring new places, but I’m just as happy sitting beneath a tree with a good book and a dog beside me. My garden is another place I love to spend time, growing vegetables, pottering around and enjoying the simple pleasure of watching things grow. I love learning, good conversations and sharing a coffee with friends. These are the things that bring me back to myself. I’m naturally calm and grounded, I take the time to listen, and I value genuine connection, both with people and with the animals who come into my care.
When I look back, I can see how all the pieces have come together. From the little girl who first started asking for a dog, to finding Abbie and eventually creating Wagging Tails, animals have continued to guide me in ways I could never have imagined. I feel incredibly grateful to have built a life around something that has always felt so natural to me, and to have the opportunity to care for the animals who become part of my world, even if only for a little while.
