Finding opportunities for dogs to socialize with other four-legged companions in rural communities and small towns is not always easy, but Millbrook Pet Care has a solution — and it comes in the form of a “doggy bus.”
In the mornings from Monday to Friday, Millbrook Pet Care owner Riley Friesen drives the pink and green bus, decorated with painted paw prints along its hood, to pick about a dozen dogs around Peterborough County to take them to a pack walk in a diverse natural area.
“I just thought the idea of a doggy bus was so fun — and a colourful doggy bus is even better,” Friesen says.
Always a pet lover and the owner of a rescued mastiff, Friesen grew up in Nova Scotia but moved to Peterborough to study environmental science at Trent University. Throughout her schooling, she worked as a pet care provider and ultimately fell in love with working with animals, so she decided to launch her own business in November 2023.
“I thought it was the best thing ever that I could be outside and still make money and be with dogs,” she says.
In addition to the daily pack walks, she also offers solo walks for dogs who are more reactive, as well as drop-in pet sitting and overnight care for any pet.
Since moving to her fiancé’s active family farm, she has hosted pack walks on the 191-acre property.
During her first year in business, she transported the pets in her own car but quickly reached capacity and had to purchase the bus to ensure there was enough room for each of the dogs to sit comfortably. The dogs now love it.
“For the most part now that they’re all used to it — you can just let them out their front door and they’ll go running right on to the bus,” Friesen says.
Friesen takes the dogs on an hour-long off-leash walk on the farm, which is located just outside of Millbrook on the edge of Fraserville. The property has about 20 acres of pasture the dogs can run around on before Friesen takes them to a large forested area with a creek passing through it.
“They’ll go swimming, they’ll play in the forest, they’ll play in the mud. They just have so much fun,” she says, noting that despite the size of the property, it’s not hard to keep track of the animals.
“You’d be surprised but, in a pack environment, they don’t want to be missing out on whatever is going on,” she says. “So if they think something more exciting is happening by me, they’ll come running.”
While the pack walks are suitable for dogs of all breeds and ages, they are currently only available for larger dogs as smaller ones could be disoriented by the larger Great Danes and mastiffs that are currently participating on the walks. However, Friesen says she would be open to holding pack walks for smaller dogs if there be enough demand.
As for her current clients, Friesen says they have several reasons for using her pack walk service.
“It’s a big range, from older people who can’t necessarily get their dogs out as much to people who are working all day and just want their dogs to get out for a run. Then I have people who just love the idea of the doggy bus and want their dog on it.”
Before taking on a new client for the doggy bus and pack walks, Friesen will first take them on a trial walk on a long leash alongside a few dogs she knows well to see how they interact and their suitability for off-leash walking.
“For a lot of people who say their dogs don’t have open recall, the dog will still have a good enough idea of how to follow you because they don’t want to get left behind,” she says.
Friesen notes the pack walks are a great way for pet owners to give their dogs both socialization and exercise.
“It’s great mental stimulation for them to learn how to either ignore other dogs or to be near them, and the smell of the farm — there’s nothing like it,” she says, adding “Having dogs chase each other is a kind of exercise that you can’t give to them unless they’re together.”
As for Friesen, she is happy to have a job where she can be surrounded by dogs.
“It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re getting frustrated at a dog and then, two seconds later, they’re trying to cuddle up on you. They’re wonderful, and being outside all day with them is the goal.”
For more information about Millbrook Pet Care, visit www.millbrookpetcare.ca. To inquire about pack walks, contact Friesen at rileyfriesen0@gmail.com.
