A COFFEE shop that serves customers of the two-legged and four-legged kind alike is coming to Barry Island.

A first-of-its-kind for Barry, the "Paws for a Coffee" shop will offer food and drinks for both dogs and their owners. As well as providing a new service for Island visitors, the shop has given a new lease of life to owner and Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) member April Keeble who is opening the premises with the help of RNIB Cymru.

Suffering from chronic pain and with her eyesight deteriorating, April said that three years ago she had given up on life.

She said: "I was admitted to hospital fell into depression and stopped taking all of my tablets. I stopped eating and drinking and gave up on life. To top off my year, my husband left me after 17 years together.

"After hitting my lowest mood ever my family and friends flocked around me. Within time, I started to get the strength and knowledge that I was worthy of life and needed to prove to myself that I was worth the fight.

“I was privileged to be taken under the wing of a very special lady, my visual rehabilitation officer Angela Edmunds; she taught me how to become more independent."

Soon after April’s idea for a coffee shop for dog lovers stemmed from a visit from overseas.

“One day last year, I was visiting my family’s house as they had visitors from Australia," she said. "We were talking about coffee shops and their life back home, my uncle had mentioned that they have lots of dog friendly coffee shops and it was like a light went off inside me.

"From that moment I knew what I wanted to do.

“With so much research into running a business I was struggling with all of the forms and paperwork, I needed help and Angela suggested that I contact RNIB Cymru. I was introduced to a wonderful lady called Helen Gummet-Preece who was not only a fountain of knowledge, but full of encouragement and belief in me.

"She supported me and had faith in everything I spoke to her about. Helen helped me develop my ideas and did the reading and researching as well as contacting many other professionals on my behalf.

“That was just before Christmas, and now I am about to open up a wonderful, welcoming and exciting new business with the help of my family and friends.”

The dog friendly coffee shop is being opened this Saturday (April 18) at 2pm at the Esplanade Buildings, Barry Island.