A new business in Kitchener-Waterloo is making caring for your pup a little more mobile. PawTrips, a doggy daycare on wheels, has been gaining traction since it launched earlier this year. When CTV News tagged along on Tuesday, nine pups were on board. “When I found out there was a local bus and it is pink, I knew my 2-year-old retrievers had to be on the bus,” said Dayna Dautner. Her dogs, Barley and Chloe, make a beeline for the bus as soon as its doors open. The hot pink pup shuttle picks dogs up directly from their homes and takes them on a daily excursion. “We go for a two-hour walk, then we head to the Dog Rink, which is an indoor facility,” explained Nicole Belsky, the owner of PawTrips. “We do jumping, play time, scent training, different activities and we can gear it to different types of dog breeds as well.” Before they are dropped off in the afternoon, the dogs get a pup cup for dessert. “It’s just a nice little treat before they go home,” Belsky said. That’s if their owners can even get them to come home. Many pups falling in love with the experience – even the nervous ones. “Miss Chloe is a COVID dog. She is very nervous and full of anxiety, said Dautner. “That’s the big reason why we signed her up for this bus service. We always make sure Miss Chloe has her backpack on for the bus. And she’s got her special support stuffed animals for her and her brother, and it makes her happy and we love to see it.” There is a meet-and-greet with PawTrips staff before new dogs are introduced to the other pups. Safety, Belsky said, is a top priority while riding on the bus. “Everyone wears a harness. We do GPS trackers on each pup. You never want to miss a beat, anything can happen. You’re always prepared.” While owners may miss their pups for the few hours that they’re gone, they know they can get some work done and their dogs will be worn out by the time they get home. For more information on different services offered, and the costs associated with them, you can learn more on the PawTrips website.
