A CANINE barber, nicknamed the ‘dog whisperer’, has taken the lead by scooping a £10,000 cash prize in a competition to find new business entrepreneurs.

Barking Barbers, a holistic dog grooming company based on Ashton New Road, Clayton, has now won first place in New East Manchester’s EnterPrize awards ceremony.

His business offers a range of holistic grooming, reiki healing, nutritional advice and massage for dogs, plus accessories and pet products sold online. Since setting up Barking Barbers now looks after more than 360 dogs. Angel, who is a qualified dog groomer and reiki animal healer, has been given the nick name, ‘Cesar Millan’ (The Dog Whisperer) by many clients due to his calming influence on dogs.

Angel said: "I feel elated to have won £10,000 in the EnterPrize competition. The prize will help me develop a new online Dog Forum providing advice for dog owners and launch a new holistic dog grooming salon. I want to be part of the changing face of dog grooming in the UK by encouraging better care and understanding of pets through knowledge."

Angel’s passion for caring for animals has been a driving force all his life. His own dog, Duke, came from Manchester Dogs Home and Barking Barbers works closely with the home, offering services free of charge and raising money for the charity.

The EnterPrize Awards Scheme rewards business talent in east Manchester, recognising the enthusiasm, creativity and innovation of new companies and encouraging economic growth. It is run by New East Manchester in partnership with Manchester Solutions, New Deal for Communities and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.