NOTHING is impossible for Danielle Vermeulen.
From a school bus driver to dog groomer, Danielle has never shyed away from a challenge and has given her all to build a connection with her community.
Being a native Nederlander, Danielle moved to Australia in 2013 after her husband secured a job in Yatala.
No family was left behind as the pair and their four dogs eventually moved to Innisplain in 2016 where they currently reside.
After growing homesick, a horse ride through Australia’s beautiful country landscape quickly changed her mind on the matter.
“I didn’t want to go back because something like that experience would never happen in Europe or the Netherlands,” she said.
“That’s when I realised that this is the country that we wanted to stay in.”
The couple both have their own businesses in town where Danielle owns a dog grooming salon.
She has always had a love for animals, especially dogs, and found that her salon was the best way to share her knowledge with the community.
“It’s not just grooming; it’s not just washing dogs. It’s trying to educate people about the whole care of a dog, the nutrition part and the behavioural part,” Danielle said.
She has previously organised ‘do-it-yourself’ grooming workshops when she first opened her salon to better inform people on how to look after their animals.
Danielle’s journey to her dream salon didn’t always look the way she envisioned as she has been through various jobs leading up to it.
She was once a truck driver, dog trainer, volunteer for RSPCA, a school bus driver and many more to name.
Although each of the jobs had their challenges, connecting with the students and animals was worthwhile for her.
“It was hard at the beginning because I was the fifth driver that year because no one could deal with the kids on that particular route,” Danielle said.
“They were hard to deal with, but I wanted to get through to them and make a difference for some of the kids.”
Danielle was bus driving until she opened her salon where she decided that her full focus must be on one job.
“When I told the kids that I was stopping, they were crying. They brought me little gifts on my last day,” she said.
“It felt good that I got that connection with some of the kids because I worked really hard to make the kids happy.”
Although everyone’s journey has their ups and downs, Danielle has managed to stay on track and look positively into the future.
