1. Tell our readers a little bit about what you do, how you got into it, how long you have been doing it and your experience!

I own Canine Crews, which is primarily a dog daycare & boarding facility in Humboldt Park. We have been open since 2009 and specifically at this location since Jan 4, 2010. We offer dog daycare, dog boarding, cat boarding, pet retails, dog bus (transportation) and MINDful Day School (for reactive/selective dogs).

2. What does a day in the life look like at Canine Crews?

No day is the same at Canine Crews but I am lucky to have some pretty amazing staff, starting with my two managers that are both celebrating 8 years in 2023. We typically have over 100 dogs in our building most weekdays so we are constantly moving dogs throughout our 12,000 square foot building & yard and using our two-way radios to communicate with almost 30 employees. Our play groups are small and by the size of the dog; this allows us to use treats & other positive reinforcements to motivate good behavior and improved enrichment. Our Kitty Crews is a zen space that has individual cat towers as well as loads of space to have solo playtimes and cuddle sessions. Our staff LOVE the new Kitty Crews in our lobby.

3. What made you decide to start Canine Crews?

2009 was a pivotal year for me personally and professionally and after years of volunteering with rescues, I seized an opportunity that presented itself to me. So much of my time and energy has gone in to building Canine Crews and it was all-consuming for many of the early years. Thankfully, we have built great systems and training over the years that have allowed me to work ON my business and not so much IN it. The best part is I still get to wander into our play groups or Kitty Crews and hang with some of my favorite dogs and cats (as long as I’ve taken my allergy pills). Watching dogs have fun never gets old.

4. Anything else that you would like our readers to know?

We are really proud of our MINDful Day School. We developed this program to give reactive or selective dogs a safe space to engage in physical and mental activities and have some fun. Volunteering with rescues and running Canine Crews for so long has given me great insight into what many dogs need and so many just don’t thrive in group settings. MINDful Day School has evolved over the years into this full-blown program that truly caters, one-on-one, to these dogs. And the dogs that are in the program are THRIVING!

5. How can our readers get in touch with you?

info@caninecrews.com is our email and our website www.caninecrews.com has loads of information.