'A really big boom': Calgary businesses catering to pets thrive during pandemic
Isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic has had many Calgarians seeking companionship from cats and dogs.
And now entrepreneurs who were starting their pet supply businesses in 2019 have seen a massive boom more than a year later.
"We saw an increase of 600 per cent on, I believe it was March 15 when it was declared a pandemic," said Jarrod Warkentin, the owner of Fetch and Stay. "We were ready, you know, there were no hiccups."
Warkentin has a storefront but his main focus is on free pet food delivery to customers.
"My grandma, she had two cats," said Warkentin. "She had to take the C-train to go to the pet store, pick up the litter, haul it back and (in the) wintertime too."
The delivery service is so popular he's had to hire more staff to transport dog and cat food to pet owners all over Calgary.
"We now have a full time driver," he said. "We're delivering five days a week, sometimes six days a week, we're looking at hiring another part time driver pretty soon."
Gulnaz Zagidullina is a dog trainer and typically has more than a dozen pooches at her home just east of Calgary. She says many new pet owners struggle to train their dogs properly.
"And all this amount of dogs we got during this pandemic was overwhelming," said Zagidullina. "I think a lot of dogs got this anxiety happening because they never got properly socialized."
She wanted a way for dogs to exercise and expend energy in a healthy way and came up with an idea.
"I always dreamed about having my own facility with a pool so and I got this opportunity to open up," said Zagidullina.
In the summer of 2020 she offered swimming lessons for dogs and rented the space out to dog owners to bring their pets to exercise and cool down in the summer heat.
"This was a great thing for the dogs who couldn't go out there and see everyone and they saw the pool, they start swimming, it's safe, it's fun, it's healthy and owners loved it, dogs loved it so I think that was the perfect timing actually," said Zagidullina.
Paws en Route is a pet transportation service in Toronto and Vancouver and is now opening in Calgary. It offers rides for all kinds of pets. Drivers will take pets on their own or with the owner to the vet, daycare or to socialize with a friend according to CEO and founder Dacia Roehler.
"We saw a really big boom during the pandemic and continue to see it because we're still in the pandemic," said Roehler. "We saw a lot of what I call long haul rides so we were picking pets up from breeders and taking them to their forever homes or booking flights for them to get to their forever homes."
Roehler came up with the idea in 2017 when she struggled to find a ride to the veterinarian for her golden lab Finn. She didn't want any other pet owner to experience that hardship.
"For a short haul it can run depending on where you're going because it could be longer and where you live, but it can run you $25 to about $60 for a ride and so roughly around or slightly cheaper than a taxi," said Roehler.
She wants to expend her business in all major Canadian cities and then south of the border into the U.S.
Learn more about Fetch and Stay here and Paws en Route here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires at suspected Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
Iran fired air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
DEVELOPING Israel targets air defence system in Syria, state news agency says
Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defence unit in southern Syria, causing material damage, state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying Friday.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.