When you the ring the front door bell, the first thing you hear is the bark.
Young Dexter, a year-old dog, greets you with the opening of the door, a happy hound ready to smother you in affection.
To look at him, you would not know that he had been abused once, and rescued by Elise Tomczak and Donna Ostrowski. The pair run Happy Hounds and Cozy Critters, a pet care service that caters to people who cannot always be home to take their pets for a walk or provide other services.
A self-appointed welcoming committee, Dexter is still learning social skills, such as not to be so affectionate as to jump on a person coming in the door. Dexter, of course, has already made friends with the other canine family member, the more elderly Ruffo, as well as one of the cats, Oliver, who has given Dexter the tour of the house.
Tomczak and Ostrowski actually have run a dog-walking and care service in Bayonne and Jersey City for several years. But now, they are looking to open a facility that will allow dog owners to board their animals.
“We’re looking for a place in the industrial area,” said Tomczak, who had arrived fresh from walking one of her clients in midtown Bayonne.
In fact, they are hoping to operate the first local branch of the Dogtopia franchise. Dogtopia, a national company founded by Amy R. Nichols in 2002, currently has operations in Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and other states, but none in New Jersey.
“They helped us with everything,” Tomczak said.
Although Tomczak and Ostrowski have at times in the past housed dogs in their home, they said they do not have the room to handle the kind of operation they envision, and are working with Dogtopia and eventually the city to find a suitable location.
“We’re hoping to open next spring or summer,” Tomczak said.
Demand shows need for supply
Ostrowski said over the years, they have received more and more requests for such a service. They believe the demand will only grow as development increases in the area.
Currently, the two women walk between 25 to 40 dogs per day, including from Jersey City.
“We used to walk dogs in Hoboken, but parking became an issue so we don’t cover that area any more,” Ostrowski.
Their customer based area for Dogtopia would be slightly smaller geographically, covering all of Bayonne as well as a large portion of Jersey City, Tomczak said. But she said that people who need the service would likely come from almost anywhere in the area.
As the two women talked about the service last week, Dexter and Ruffo gobbled treats: dog biscuits and baby carrots.
“The carrots are better for them,” Ostrowski said. “The biscuits are like candy.””
The woman, of course, said the operation would continue dog-walking, dog feeding, and possible pet taxi service over time, but this would require hiring of additional people.
How it’s done
The two women decided to develop the program because of the repeated requests, and searched the Internet for a company that seemed to fit their ideas on animal care.
Looking ahead, the two women foresee a daycare operation that would house dogs from about 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, similar to daycare for children.
“People would drop off their dogs and we will make sure they get walked and fed,” Ostrowski said, although this would include much more.
When fully operational, the boarding facility could be as large as 10,000 square feet and be able to board up to 100 dogs.
The facility may also be equipped with web camera that will allow vacationing dog owners to glimpse their pets from afar.
Boarding services will require that the dog pass an evaluation service as to health and its ability to get along with other dogs.
Currently, the woman provide a pet feeding service in people’s homes, as well as dog walking services at various times during the day. They are also involved in various ways with the local animal rescue groups, such as CARE, and would be more deeply involved once the boarding services are up and running.
Tomczak , who works in the health industry, said Ostrowski used to walk her dogs, and they gradually expanded the dog walking operation until they both decided that they would like to make a living full time caring for animals.
Tomczak staff has been extremely helpful in mapping out the future operations, such as knowing the amount of space they will need and other aspects the two women otherwise would have had to learn by trial and error.
“We know there is a demand, and we believe that there will only be a bigger demand in the future,” Tomczak said.
Meanwhile, the two women continue their current operation, which also includes caring of smaller animals such as cats and birds.
“We’ll still do that after we open Dogtopia,” Tomczak said. “But we will take care of those animals in their own homes.”
Ostrowski said this is not a business for the faint-hearted.
“You have to love animals,” she said, “and you have to be willing to clean up their messes.”