This month, we’re excited to introduce Lucas, the founder of Happy Camper Dog in Newton, MA. After realizing that office life wasn’t for them, Lucas turned to their childhood love for dogs and found their true calling in dog walking. Now, with a dedicated team, Happy Camper Dog provides premium care to pet parents in the Boston suburbs. What’s most fulfilling to Lucas isn’t just the dogs—it’s the dynamic relationships they’ve built with their team, ensuring that everyone’s growth is part of the business’s success. Despite the challenge of remembering every detail for each dog, Lucas has perfected the art of care through careful documentation and relying on Time To Pet to keep everything running smoothly. The goal? To become the #1 choice for dog walking in their area by continuously improving and making every step of the process more efficient for both clients and their team.
To learn more about Lucas and the team, be sure to check out the Happy Camper Dog or follow them on Facebook and Instagram!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
I was about to graduate from school and still wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I knew I liked being outside, working with people and definitely didn't want to work in an office. I still went through interviews, thinking it was the right thing to do after finishing school. The interviews didn't work out, but we always had dogs growing up. When I told my family what I wanted to do, they were a little confused because it seemed like a complete 180 from the academic world I was coming from. Looking back, I couldn't be happier that those interviews didn't work out; otherwise, I would have never found dog walking!
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
The most fulfilling part is being a part of my team members' development as people. None of us are perfect, so every week, they give me feedback on how I can make their jobs better, and I give them feedback on working with the dogs and pet parents. I value this type of relationship because it's built on trust. Without trust and knowing that we have each other's best interests in mind, that type of feedback could be taken the wrong way. I love the dynamic relationship we have, and it's something that has truly elevated our business.
What is the most challenging?
The details. With each dog, there are 20 things to remember: the boot they need to wear for a cut paw, the mixed meal they get after their walk, and which dogs get along or which don't. With one dog, it's a lot to keep track of, but when you multiply that by all the different families we work with, it can be overwhelming. Documenting every single detail in Time To Pet has been our foolproof way of staying on top of everything. We want pet parents to know their dog is getting the same level of care, or better than they would provide themselves while they're at work. Reaching that standard means not missing a single detail.
Where do you see your business in five years?
In five years, I see Happy Camper Dog as the #1 option for dog walking in Newton, MA and the Boston suburbs. We obsess over constant improvement. We've created a continuous feedback loop where we're never getting too comfortable. We're always asking ourselves how can we be 1% better. This mentality has allowed us to make our care very efficient and enables us to take on a larger client base while still maintaining the premium level of service our clients have come to expect.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
I was skeptical about Time To Pet at first, but I still wanted to give it an honest shot. As we grew, I found myself spending more time worrying about administrative work, like billing, instead of focusing on the dogs. It made no sense. We're in business because we're really good at dog walking, not administrative work. TTP has allowed us to stop stressing over scheduling issues or missed invoices so we can focus on what we do best- caring for our dogs! I realized early on that the more efficient we make our office work, the more focus and care we can dedicate to what truly matters. Now, the bulk of my day is spent supporting our walkers instead of building schedules or handling accounting.
