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Navigating the Pandemic as a Local Dog Walking Company

navigating a pandemic as a local dog walking company

2020: Woof.

Well, we won’t be sad to say goodbye to 2020.

The pandemic touched every aspect of our lives this year, and our business was no exception. As a local dog walking company, we took quite a hit as more and more people moved to work from home. Having been in the pet care business for nearly 20 years, we found ourselves navigating uncharted territory, and we did everything we could to keep our dog walking company and dedicated dog walkers afloat.

We were able to do so thanks in great part to our clients. Whether you kept your walks on the schedule while you worked from home, donated leashes or left generous tips for your dog walker, we are forever grateful!

We also made some serious changes to our dog walking protocol to keep our dog walkers, clients and community safe. Every Urban Tailz dog walker is now equipped with their own leashes, masks and hand sanitizer. We will continue to operate like this until COVID-19 is well under control. (Click here to read more about our COVID-19 safety protocol.)

dog walking mask

Exciting New Pet Care Services and App Updates:

Adventure Dog Walks. One positive note to the year was the addition of our adventure dog walking service. We rolled this out following the first Shelter in Place order, after we saw the positive impact these long nature walks had on our own pets. We’ve been blown away by how the service has taken off! It’s been a great option for people looking to get their dogs out of the house for a few hours. It’s also a nice supplement to doggie daycare or a regular dog walking schedule. We plan to continue these for the foreseeable future and we look forward to getting more pups on board!

GPS Tracking. In June, we rolled out launched GPS tracking on all dog walks. Now, our clients can track the route their pup and dog walker took on their afternoon stroll.

Easy Photo Download. You can now easily save photos from your dog walk report to your phone. We were so happy when Time to Pet added this feature to the app because we know how much our dog walking clients love to see photos from the walks. To save a photo, click press and hold on the image. You should then be prompted about the download.

Fear Free Certification. Carine and I finished our studies to become Fear Free Certified, a course designed to help pet professionals prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety and stress in animals. We are very excited to start using the tools and techniques we’ve learned along with our more than 15 years of experience in caring for furry family members.

Coming Soon:

Dog Jogs. We’re in the early stages of rolling out a new Dog Jog service, which is ideal for pups who resolved to exercise more in the new year. Our Dog Jogs are $25 for 30 minutes or $35 for 45 minutes. #couchto5k

Senior Adventure Walks. Old dogs deserve adventures, too! Our current adventure walks are a little too rigorous for senior pups, so we’re going to start doing some more low-key adventures to give everyone a chance to explore. These walks will be slower paced with plenty of sniffing, sun basking and breaks. Strollers and/or Red Wagons will be utilized to make sure your senior dog is comfy and enjoys the sights and smells on their adventures.

Urban Tailz Online Pet Shop. Pretty soon, Urban Tailz will be your one stop shop for pet care needs! We’re working on setting up an online store with dog and cat food, treats, supplies and more. We want to carry brands and items our clients specifically want, so if you’re interested, please be on the lookout for an email coming soon with link to a survey. 

 

Like the rest of the world, we’re hoping for a better 2021. But for now, we’re grateful that we, our dog walkers and our pet sitters are able to keep doing what we love. Thank you for letting us care for your fur babies!

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