Case study
Shanice Lindo-McIntosh set up her dog treat business because her French Bulldog, Bella, became paralysed at two years old. Bella was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease in 2020 leaving her unable to use her hind legs. Devastated by the possibility that she might never walk again, Shanice chose hydrotherapy over the vet’s recommendation of putting Bella down. For six months, Bella underwent weekly sessions, and Shanice saw how the treats she used to motivate Bella during treatment played a crucial role in her eventual recovery.
| Region/Nation | West Midlands |
|---|---|
| Sector | Wholesale and Retail Trade |
| Programme | Start Up Loans |
| Partner |
That experience with Bella changed Shanice’s life as she forged a new part-time career in 2021 as an entrepreneur. She set up Bella Loves to ‘share the love’ and offer other dog owners high quality premium dog treats that use the best ingredients and are handmade.
She was helped in her journey to becoming an entrepreneur by The King’s Trust, a Start Up Loans Business Support Partner. Now 30 years old, Shanice left school at 16 with one GCSE and then studied through her twenties and has now been a nurse for five years. Shanice runs her business alongside her nursing work.
Initially Shanice started making the dog treats from her mum’s kitchen and “put all her money into it”. This helped her develop a range of products including chicken, fish and beef-flavoured treats.
The King’s Trust has helped Shanice with mentoring and to develop the products, including support with packaging and meeting the product’s legislative requirements. They also supported her with business planning when she was looking to raise additional finance to support the development of Bella Loves.
Shanice added: “The King’s Trust still help me now, they’re great. The mentor really helped me with my spreadsheets and getting on top of the numbers – an area where I can struggle.”
In 2025, Shanice was ready to take her Bella Loves concept further and applied for a Start Up Loan and grant funding from The King’s Trust. The finance helped her to purchase equipment, buy a second batch of stock and purchase stands at large pet shows, allowing her to establish her brand and sell to potential customers.
Shanice is confident about the future. She added: “I’m going to develop more flavours, use all recyclable packaging and keep the products handmade as the treats are all about the love. They must be high quality. And finally, I want to develop in Birmingham where I’m from first and then end up in every UK pet store.”
Louise McCoy, Managing Director, Start Up Loans Products commented:
Shanice has a really inspiring story, both because she set up the business out of love for her dog and because she herself left school at 16 and is now both a nurse and a business owner. Her business has been going since 2021 and Shanice has ambition to grow Bella Loves, which is great to hear. Start Up Loans wants to support more early-stage UK businesses like Shanice’s.
Jo McKnight, Head of Enterprise at The King's Trust said:
Young people are currently facing multiple challenges, however with support from The King's Trust and Start Up Loans they are able to realise their full potential by starting their own business. We know from working with young people facing adversity, that the opportunity to set up their own business can help overcome the barriers they face by improving confidence, offering independence and the ability to build a successful future.
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