Christine Black left her life as a lawyer behind for the love of her tiny pup Chester. After many long days in the office, and many guilty nights coming home to her little Yorkshire Terrier who’d been holed up in her condo all day, she was inspired to find a spot where she wouldn’t have to worry about him when she was at work.
The idea to open Petite Urban Pooch, a small dog daycare, started as a joke. But when she wasn’t feeling fired up about her job, and her both her loved ones and CEED supported the idea, it became a reality and the newest resident of 2863 Isleville Street. “What I’m trying to recreate here is a second home for urban pooches, one that has everything except for their human,” says Black. “I have big dreams for what it could be and I really hope I’m on the right track.”
P.U.P. is a kennel-free daycare that offers up a napping area equipped with plush beds and little tents, an indoor play area and a fenced in backyard space (so no little guys can make a run for it). “It’s not as much about excluding big dogs as it is catering to small ones,” she says. “I think sometimes small dogs are over-looked, people think they don’t need to go outside or socialize.” Pooch parents looking for peace of mind can check out petiteurbanpooch.ca or drop by the daycare Monday through Friday, 7:30am-6:30pm, prices range from $24-30 per day.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2014.