ABOUT US
Why We Do What We Do
Pets bring so much love and joy to our lives, and an equal amount of stress and guilt when we work long hours, travel for business or go on a vacation. No one likes kenneling their pets or leaving them alone in the house all day. Everyone knows that their pets would much rather be on their own comfy turf than be boarded. Not many people have friends or family they can trust or burden with pet sitting or dog walking. And, that is where Happy Dogs Pet Services comes in.
Left alone or in unfamiliar surroundings makes for destructive, sullen or unhappy pets, and therefore unhappy humans. Exercise, interaction and stimulation are the keys to happy dogs that are better behaved, healthier and more relaxed. From walks while you’re at work to pet and house sitting when you’re out of town, Happy Dogs Pet Services is flexible to meet the needs of all sizes and breeds of dogs and their humans. While dogs are their specialty, Happy Dogs also cares for cats, birds, reptiles and fish. If you have exotic pets like llamas, pigs, bears, alligators or monkeys, Happy Dogs may not be the service for you. But knowing the animal lover Darin is, you might be able to talk him into anything.
Darin Henderson, the owner, has an injured bunny in his backyard to thank for his business idea. To learn how to nurse the bunny back to health, he contacted Lakeside Nature Center, a wildlife rehabilitation center, which led him to volunteering with the organization where he met a pet sitter who had an overabundance of customers and asked for Darin’s help. Seeing the demand for these services led Darin to open Happy Dogs Pet Services. Darin has his grandma, Marjean, to thank for nurturing his passion for animals. “My grandma loved grooming dogs, and she taught me about service. When I was ten years old I started driving around with her in her station wagon, picking up dogs on weekends and in the summers. She’d take them to her house for grooming, and I was in charge of potty breaks and playtime. In the afternoon, we’d return them to their homes. Talk about personal service,” Darin explains.
Two Yorkie dogs, Ellie and Rylie were his inspiration as well. "I would walk them through my neighborhood every day past dogs behind fences and I would think, 'I bet those dogs would like to get out for a walk,' and I started putting up flyers and spreading the word about my services. I wanted to care for other people's furry family members in the way I would want MY pets cared for. (Rylie is pictured alongside this article. The original "Happy Dog")
Darin was working mostly nights and weekends as a DJ in 2009, when he started pet sitting and dog walking part-time to supplement his income. By 2011, Happy Dogs Pet Services was a full-fledged business and continues to grow each year. In 2016, Darin quit the DJ business altogether to focus full time on Happy Dogs.
“There is definitely a need for trusted dog walking and pet sitting services, but many people don’t know businesses like mine exist. Once word got out about what we do and how well we do it, Happy Dogs Pet Services really took off,” says Darin. “The business has grown thanks to word of mouth, Angie’s List, local veterinarians’ and groomers’ referrals, and online searches.”
Today, the company has three pet sitters and dog walkers who are equally as passionate about caring for pets as Darin. Happy Dogs’ customers, both animal and human, immediately sense that they are in good hands. Glowing testimonials, an A-rating on Angie’s List, insured and bonded through State Farm Insurance, National Association of Professional Pet Sitters membership, Sittercity.com background checks and registration are important credentials. “But, there’s nothing better than hearing, ‘Oh my gosh! My dogs never take so easily to strangers, but they sure like you.’ I think pets are great judges of character, and they know we genuinely love what we do and we're there to shower them with attention," says Darin.
When you love your pets like family, having a reliable, caring dog walker and pet sitter is as important as having a trusted mechanic or plumber in your life. Darin and his growing team are people you can trust with your “furry child.”
REPRINTED FROM ADAMS DAIRY BANK NEWSLETTER SEGMENT "Small Business of the Month November 2018"
