We will always put our values above our bottom line.

I don’t always have time to slow down and reflect what owning and operating a small business means to me. How lucky I am to have the support of family and friends, as well as the trust from clients and colleagues?

This past weekend, I was reading Fast Company and Inc. 500 magazines. I love reading about where people came from, how their ideas were brought to life, and their secrets to success. The founder of Bumble was interviewed and a line she spoke stood out to me most:

That’s exactly how I feel. Sure, to survive, we have to be successful. My heart and soul are dedicated to Paws and Paw Paws. But not at the sacrifice of changing who I am.

This past summer, I was bummed when we had an outbreak of canine cough. I know it’s pretty inevitable given the influx of boarding dogs, as well as the lack of exposure for some. (think kids in daycare during flu season) Nonetheless, health and safety are our top priority. I’ve said it since day one. So when I found out about our first confirmed case on a Saturday, I started letting all of our clients know on Sunday. We posted a letter on our door; we started handing out letters to clients. This was the first business day after the confirmed case.

I received calls for a few weeks. There were some clients that said they’d never be back; most clients thanked me for being honest. This transparency negatively effected our bottom line, but stayed true to our values.

Either way, I was frustrated when clients would say “you should have told me”. But we did. The letter is still posted on our door today, almost three months after the day we found out we had an issue.

Being accused of not being honest or transparent is insulting when it’s the exact opposite of the person you are, and the business you operate.

We will always put our values above our bottom line.

We have an open door policy; come tour anytime. Our cameras are never turned off; check on your dog anytime you’d like. When we say we’re full, it’s because we’ve reached a number we feel still allows for the comfort and safety or your pet. It doesn’t mean we do not have a kennel open. It means we once again, put our values above our bottom line.

We’re here to make a difference in the way your pet is cared for, and the experience of dog daycare, boarding and grooming. We won’t get it right every time. We’re not perfect. But we’ll be honest about our failures, we’ll improve where we can, and we will never stop working to ensure our values remain our top priority.