Former Ireland and Old Lace Owner Dedicates Her Life to Helping Animals

For some people, life comes full circle, and they can end up fulfilling dreams they haven't thought about since they were teenagers.

This is the case for former Ireland and Old Lace owner

Earlier this month, Galloway Patch ran a story concerning recent move and owner satisfaction with the expansion in size and a growing customer base. Hebron was able to move the store into a bigger building, formerly occupied by when Coleman enrolled in veterinary training.

“Since closing Ireland and Old Lace at the end of March, I have completed my certification in Small Animal Massage Practitioner,” Coleman wrote in an email. ‘This is the first step in my new career in animal physical therapy and rehabilitation.”  

Coleman graduated from Fordham University in 1990, and worked in the entertainment industry until 2001, when she met her future husband, Mark Radziewicz. She went to work for a flooring company, but was laid off in November of 2001. From there, she opened Ireland and Old Lace in 2002, and remained in business there for 10 years.

“Two years ago, my Jack Russell Terrier, Seamus, ruptured a disc in his back, and needed emergency surgery that could have left him paralyzed but at least pain free,” Coleman wrote. “Though he came through the surgery well, it was necessary for me to perform his physical therapy while recovering. The post op care is not often thought about.  Lucky for me I had my own business and was able to go home every four hours, while he was crated for 6 weeks recovering, and perform this therapy.”

Coleman worked for a veterinarian when she was 15-17 years old. Before she went into the entertainment industry, being a veterinarian was her goal, but realizes she wasn’t mature enough to handle the full spectrum of the industry at the time.

She began to realize it might be time to pursue this option when she had to begin caring for Seamus, and Ireland joined the European Union.

“Since Ireland joined the European Union, the way they labeled items and where they were being made had changed dramatically,” Coleman wrote. “My intent for opening the store was to bring hand crafted items from Ireland to my customers.  I was finding ever more often that items were made in other parts of Europe or the Far East and were being labeled Made In Ireland.”

She said she began to receive wool from Poland and chocolate from the Middle East.

“If something is boxed in Ireland or a button sewn on, something done to the product, they could say it was made in Ireland,” Coleman wrote. “This was not the type of product or quality that I wanted to give my customers.  The 10 years that I was there were wonderful, I had so many great events, and met some really wonderful, interesting people.  However, I have found another calling and am really excited about it.”

Coleman will start Penn Foster's Veterinary Technician degree program in June. She could be there for up to two more years, but will be working independently and with local veterinarians doing small animal massage while completing the program, she said.  

“Animal massage is great for the immune system, arthritis, congestive and digestive problems and my focus, rehabilitation and post-op,” Coleman wrote.

Her goal is to become a visiting nurse to small animals.