About Lumenico
The Guiding Lights of Lumenico
How it all began
Kennel Lumenico consists of Nicola & Owen, Lupo, Meeko & Yuna. We currently live in Edinburgh.
I (Nicola) have loved animals and wanted to live with dogs my whole life. My family could never have a dog whilst I was growing up. So instead, I spent a lot of my free time gaining work experience with animals wherever I could.
I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London with a BSc Veterinary Science (Hons) degree in 2008. It was just prior to this that I met Owen, who was also graduating, but from Imperial University London in Chemistry. Unlike me, he had grown up with dogs (Bouvier des Flandres and Rottweilers).
It wasn’t until 2013, when I was 25, working full time and still living with my Mum in London that I was able to get my first dog. That dog was our first Finnish Lapphund, Lupo.
Adventures Together
Owen and I moved in together with Lupo in Royston, Hertfordshire in 2014, when I started working at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. It was a job I loved for all 5.5 years that I was there. Being able to take Lupo (and then later, Meeko too) into work with me was a dream come true and the boys also loved it there. Unfortunately, COVID closed the charity down and I was made redundant.
Both dogs, Lupo and Meeko, were able to join Owen and I for our wedding photos when we got married in 2019 (luckily, just prior to COVID!). Big thanks to our friends and breeders, Simon Brown and Louise Wyatt (Lumikoira kennel) who made that possible for us.
Eventually, after a brief NHS detour, I was offered another veterinary job at The Royal (Dick) Vet school, University of Edinburgh. So, we made the bold decision to sell our house in Royston and relocate to Scotland. A decision that we have never regretted. It was and continues to be a great adventure.
The origin of Lumenico
Over the years of Finnish Lapphund ownership we became very involved in dog showing. In the summer it is not uncommon for us to be seen at a show every weekend! I decided I wanted to learn more and so attended various showing and judging seminars. I am Kennel Club JEP Level 2 for judging Finnish Lapphunds.
Between 2019 and 2022 I had a few judging appointments covering some fun shows, Special Awards classes, and Open shows.
I was on the SFLS committee for a short while and have now been on the FLCGB committee since 2023 where I am membership secretary and newsletter editor.
In 2019, once Lupo had had a litter, I thought it might be nice for us to have a Kennel name of our own in order to link us, and all our dogs, present and future, together. We came up with the name ‘Lumenico’; made up of letters from Lupo, Meeko, Nicola & Owen; our little family at the time. It also appealed to me given that lumen is the SI unit for luminous flux.
I liked the idea of the kennel name representing a giving out of light.
Lupo’s arrival turned some dark days into a much brighter future – one that will only continue to grow.