Calgary dog bus takes pups to play at off-leash park

Calgary has dozens of dog walkers, but only one company that uses a school bus to transport its clients' pups to the park

Ruff and Puff is a doggie day camp that picks up your canine in a bus, drives it to an off-leash area to play and then drops it back at home.

Denzel Morrison, who runs Ruff and Puff, says the idea came to him three years ago.

"I saw a video of a guy driving a yellow van full of dogs and it looked kind of like a school bus. He said it was 'the best job in the world,' and I was like, 'holy, wow, that does actually look like a great job."

Morrison bought the bus, then spent thousands of dollars adapting it for four-legged passengers.

"I've always loved dogs," Morrison said. "I thought I'll just go the whole nine yards. Got a whole school bus, retrofitted it with little sliding gates and little safety attachments for the harness."

Morrison drives the canine coach through southeast neighbourhoods, picking up dogs from their homes and loading them into the bus for a trip to the park.

Ruff and Puff picks up your canine in a bus, drives them to an off-leash park to play and then drops them back at home.Hannah Curlock is one of the people who sends her dog along for an adventure.

"We had a new puppy at the time and he was crazy, and I work from home. It was just easier for us to have somebody come to the house and pick him up and take him," said Curlock.

"He (Bo) sees Denzel and runs to the front door, so then you don't really have any worries."

Morrison says the dogs seem to love jumping aboard the mutt motor coach.

Ruff and Puff picks up your canine in a bus, drives them to an off-leash park to play and then drops them back at home."The first day is a little iffy, the second day is better. Usually by the third day they're settled in. Once they see all the other dogs acting calm, they're like, ‘alright, looks like this is ideal.' So they settle in."

Once the canines are comfortably aboard, Morrison ferries them to a nearby private off-leash park.   

As imagined, a bus full of dogs looking out the window tends to turn a few heads on the trip. 

"Everyone that sees it is so happy," Morrison said. "Everyone we drive by loves it. I've thought about putting cameras on the side of it, to watch people faces, because its so funny just watching."

Ruff and Puff picks up your canine in a bus, drives them to an off-leash park to play and then drops them back at home.Morrison has been operating Ruff and Puff for nearly two years, but says only recently, as more people began returning to the office, did business start booming.

"At the current rate …  I might have to get another bus," he said. "I am thinking about it." 

Ruff and Puff picks up your canine in a bus, drives them to an off-leash park to play and then drops them back at home.When asked if he can now confirm it's the best job in the world, Morrison said it definitely is.

"Yeah, confirmed. Confirmed it is a great job. I honestly think it has got to be at least in the top five in the world. Its awesome."

 

 

 

 

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