Shari Wagner, who opened The Playful Pack on Mitchell Road last weekend says, “If everyone’s going in one direction and you go in the opposite direction, you generally benefit.”
And Wagner, whose facility boasts Web cams in all the play areas so owners can check on their pets, says she is generally an optimistic person. So far, she says, things are going better than she expected. People are especially excited about the Web cams.
“I wasn’t expecting everyone else to be as excited about it as I am,” she says.
Wagner already has some clients and a part time employee. Her 14-year-old son spends time playing with the dogs after school, and her husband helps out with the business, too.
Wagner was a software engineer for 20 years before opening The Playful Pack. She says she was equally pulled towards a job with animals and away from life at a desk.
“For a long time now,” she says, “I’ve been wanting to get out of my cubicle. I was a farm girl growing up and I just love being outside with animals.”
The Playful Pack has 2,000 square feet of outdoor play space and another 2,000 feet inside to accommodate all kinds of dogs. Wagner’s dog, Walter, for instance, is a shar-pei mix with short fur and needs an indoor play space in the winter.
But, Wagner hasn’t totally traded in her computer skills. After doing a lot of research on everything from incorporating a business to outdoor kennel flooring, she borrowed money from her sister, obtained the necessary permits and put her engineering skills to work in constructing The Playful Pack. In addition, her software skills enabled her to set up the Web cams.
Throughout the play areas there are colorful toys and couches. Every pet in the daycare has his or her own toy bin. On the wall in the front lobby area, there is a painting of a tree with photos of dogs hanging from the branches. Every canine client gets to have his or her photo on the tree.
The name of her business strikes just the tone Wagner wanted. She is, indeed, trying to develop a clientele that can be part of a playful pack. Wagner says she evaluates each dog. If she senses a dog is aggressive, she won’t bring him on board. She will kennel a dog who may be having a bad day or who just needs some time away from the pack, but she says she won’t take on dogs who are generally aggressive.
“Our main goal is to provide an environment where dogs can have fun in safety and comfort,” Wagner says. “I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to pursue this dream. Without the support of my husband Axel and my sister Isa, it would never have been possible. I will always be grateful to them.”
