About Us!
/Welcome! Thanks for checking out Paws Next Door!
As you hopefully can see, we’re a doggy daycare facility located in Calgary.
How’d we get started?
Well the owner, that’d be me (Christine), has always loved dogs, but never had one. After several years of volunteering with various shelters and rescues, I took the plunge and got my first dog in early 2016.
Jasmine (Jas for short), is a lab/coonhound mix, and my life was never the same again. To be perfectly honest, there were times I hated her. Jas was not a good puppy. She was stubborn, wilful, and seemed to take serious pleasure in refusing to eliminate outside, but immediately upon re-entry to the house, relieving herself all over whatever happened to be near the door. Still, with all the sleepless nights, and sleepier days, there was something so heart-warming about watching her snooze in her bed at the office (in the weirdest positions), or pouncing in the grass during our breaks, or chasing me around a field trying to catch me, tumbling around as she ran so fast her little legs couldn’t keep up. She was pretty majestic as a pup when it came to poses though, and loved to sit pretty for pictures. She was and is a beautiful dog, and while she’s still stubborn, we’ve mostly come to an understanding in our relationship. Jas took over my life in a way that none of my hours of research could ever have explained, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
Just over three years later, my partner and I fostered a puppy. Originally Claudette, within two days we knew she was staying, and so we re-named our little rescue Belle. Belle is the happiest dog I’ve ever known. She doesn’t just wag her tail, she wags her whole body. And while she’s presenting different challenges as a puppy than Jas did, it just doesn’t seem as difficult. Probably because big sister Jas is a great nanny, as it turns out.
During my three years with just Jas, I often took her to daycares. They presented a great opportunity for socialization, play, and an awesome way for Jas to burn off some extra energy. Nothing tires dogs out more than playing with other dogs. Plus they gave me the chance to have a break, because 24/7 with her Highness got to be a bit much. (Did you notice both my dogs are Disney princesses?)
Almost three years with Jas also happened to match my three plus years at my office job. While there were some great perks (like getting to bring Jas to work with me), I’d been thinking for a while that I really wanted to do something different.
Slowly at first, but then with more enthusiasm, I started building the idea of Paws Next Door. I’ve been able to develop and start my current dream job, make it a viable business, and with little convincing, bring on an awesome team to help make it happen! Let’s be serious though, what dog lover wouldn’t want to spend their day surrounded by pooches. It didn’t take much convincing.
And that’s the story of how Paws Next Door started! Hopefully you’ll be joining us as we grow into something more, we’d love to have you and your furry friend come along for the ride!