Meet the Pack Leader

Up Close and Personal – Suzanne Diamond

From the Backwoods of Muskoka to the Boardroom—and the Trail Ahead with Wildpaws Co.

I am a dog owner.
I am a wife.
I am a mom.
I am a business owner.

And honestly? If you told my younger self that I’d willingly share my home, couch, and hiking trails with two large Labradors—considering my early, slightly traumatic history with a high-strung golden retriever—she would have laughed you right out of the room.

My origin story started deep in the wilds of Muskoka at a family-run summer resort. Growing up there meant working 16-hour days from “May 2-4” to Thanksgiving, outworking the staff, and learning early on how to hustle. By age 14, when I wanted a stereo, my entrepreneurial dad told me to earn it. So, I opened the Minnow Inn, a waterside bait and tackle shop on the property. I ran it completely solo and bought that stereo within weeks.

Apparently, my parents worried I might permanently turn into Jane from Tarzan, because at 19 they packed me off to backpack through Europe for six months—mostly funded by my resort and bait-shop savings. I crashed through 15 countries, learned some fierce street smarts, and came back just in time to tackle a BA in Law at Carleton University.

After a detour through various uninspiring jobs, a Law Clerk diploma from Algonquin, and an Alternative Dispute Resolution certificate from York, I found myself living in Toronto working at a law firm. That chapter eventually closed, prompting me to start completely from scratch.

That reset led me to Durham College, where I earned my Paralegal Certificate, gained my Law Society license, and—best of all—met Prince Charming, aka Mike. We were in the same program, joined forces, and eventually launched our own practice. While Mike eventually migrated back to the corporate tech/business world, I still happily run my own solo practice right from home, setting my own hours and loving every minute of it.

Enter the Fur Ball Revolution

Working from home naturally got me thinking about getting a canine coworker. The only catch? I was still deeply intimidated by dogs. After a rescue attempt went sideways fast, I figured we were permanently off the dog train.

Then an ad popped up on my phone: a red fox lab puppy. One look at her, and that was it. Her name is Maze. She is the undisputed princess of the household, the gentlest soul you’ll ever meet, and the reason my husband still loves to tease: “Just ask her if she likes dogs.” My answer? “Generally, no, but I love our dogs.”

Because one Lab is apparently never enough, we eventually found ourselves on a waiting list for a second. That’s when a little black lab puppy named Nyx—named after the Goddess of Darkness—landed in our lives two weeks before Christmas, completely ambushing the kids when they found her collar hanging on the Christmas tree.

Nyx is an absolute riot. She’s the kind of dog who spins in circles out of sheer joy and tries to balance bones on Maze’s back when she’s bored. She thinks every single second of the day is the greatest thing to ever happen.

The Next Chapter: Wildpaws Co. & the Open Trail

Now, I have two Labs that I adore, which means our lives revolve around muddy hiking trails, weekend camping trips, and figuring out every great dog-friendly spot we can find.

Frustrated by gear that couldn’t keep up with real outdoor adventures, I decided to build something better. That pursuit turned into Wildpaws Co.—our home base for durable, thoughtfully engineered travel utility gear designed for dogs and the humans who trek beside them. Paired with our adventure log at Everything-dog.ca, we’re testing the limits of our gear, sharing the rough-and-tumble reality of life with two big Labs, and building a brand dedicated to the next great outdoor chapter.