Pet helpers make day visits to customers' homes

Paul Barrett used his canine compassion to create a career-changing small business called Austin Dog Butler.

The dog-walking service, at first run solely by Barrett, has grown the past two years to require 10 part-time dog walkers and two office managers, he said. Barrett's team visits dogs at their homes for a midday visit, quick walk or run.

"Two years ago I would walk 10 miles per day five days per week, so taking on employees was a no-brainer for me," said Barrett, who left a sales career to start Austin Dog Butler. "Now I'm managing the business."

Austin Dog Butler touts itself as a five-star service that is insured, bonded and certified in pet first aid.

"We're trying to 'wow' customers," Barrett said, citing one example in which he cleaned the remnants of a torn-up feather pillow to help ensure his client came back to a clean home. "It's the small things."

Also, while no Austin Dog Butler employees are qualified trainers, they do provide obedience reinforcement, Barrett said, including leash control, sitting and staying.

"We do a meet-and-greet before walking customers' dogs so we can break down any barriers that initial visit and make sure the dog knows us," Barrett said. "It makes the whole experience less stressful for the dogs."

Barrett calls Austin—voted DogTown USA this year by Dog Fancy Magazine—an ideal market for his small business, although he has not ruled out expanding Austin Dog Butler to other cities.

"The dream is to turn this into a national franchise," he said.

Austin Dog Butler, 512-358-4046, www.austindogbutler.com, [email protected]