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She Lets the Dogs Out

It was Harry S. Truman who said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” Leslie Campbell, 49, thinks this adage could apply just as well in Los Angeles. After all, she spent almost 25 years designing costumes for television personalities before trading it in to spend time with what she believes are the more highly developed beings: dogs.

“I was tired of the egos and the hours,” she said, looking back on a career spent dressing some of the most famous women on television. “It was getting a little bit stagnant, mentally and physically.”

It was this stagnation that led Campbell to pursue a job opening for dog walkers. A Pet Orphans Board member, Campbell had always wanted to work with animals, and now was her chance. A few months later, she was buying a portion of an existing dog service and opening We Let the Dogs Out.

Of course, certain sacrifices had to be made (no longer does Campbell drive a BMW) but the benefits, both mentally and physically, far outweigh the drawbacks.

“I’m just a better off person,” she says. “Everyone’s telling me how much younger I look and how much happier I seem. It’s a simpler, nicer, much more rewarding life.”