Scampers Welcomes Chester and Kodiak!

We’re having a lively day today as we welcome two new dogs to the Scampers roster. We’re very pleased to introduce Chester and Kodiak.

Chester is a young “Maltimo” – Maltese/Eskimo/Pomeranian – with a delightful attitude. He’s all about the fun of life.  He hit it off immediately with Schuster, and the two dance very well together. A while later, he was spotted lounging with Rosie and Biscuit. Minutes later he was romping with Kodiak.

Kodiak is the other new kid to Scampers. Kodi’s a big boy, with bloodlines that include Akita and St. Bernard. Despite his current hair loss (he’s shedding his coat by the pound!) he’s a very handsome fellow with his regal bearing, soft brown eyes, gentle smile and perpetually waving tail. His  major motivation seems to be getting someone to rub him to help him with that hair loss project.

Considering Dog Daycare?

If you are thinking about finding a new avenue for your best friend’s enrichment, you may want to consider dog daycare.  Sure, the local off-leash park can be a great outlet for their pent up energy.  But how much to do you really know about the other dogs there?  Do their owners truly have the ability to control their dog(s) should an incident occur?  Is anyone there trained in canine first aid?  These are all factors you should consider when you venture out for group play with your dog.

For example, do you know which breed of dog is most commonly put down due to uncontrolled biting behavior?  It may surprise you to learn that it is the Cocker Spaniel.

Dogs are pack animals, descended from wolves, and it is important to know how their brains work when they get together.  It is also important to know that as pack animals, they really are enriched by spending time within a familiar pack on a regular basis.  This kind of socialization truly helps them gain a more complete sense of self, as they define their place within a known group.


Dog daycare facilities offer a safe, controlled environment where your dog can interact with other dogs and gain self-realization.  Daycare staffers are often trained in canine first aid, and while many have learned a great deal about pack dynamics simply from prolonged exposure to this kind of environment, some have sought specialized training to maximize the safety of both staff and canine visitors.  Further, dogs at these facilities are always current with their shots and have undergone temperament tests, so you can have a much greater level of comfort about the group.

If you are wrestling with how to socialize or occupy your dog during the day, consider dog daycare – your dog will become a better canine citizen and you will feel better knowing you contributing to your dog’s sense of well-being.

Introducing Chris Sugarbaker and his grooming services

Chris Sugarbaker of Cut-N-Run is now offering grooming services to Scampers customers. He brings his mobile grooming van once a week, and is available for anything from a pooch pedicure to a full wash-cut-style.

Chris has some twenty years experience as an animal groomer, and has an amazing rapport with animals. We love when Chris comes to Scampers, but the dogs love it even more! He has a way of charming them first with a kind of dog-music that he makes with his mouth, and then with the wonderful massage and fur fluffing to help the dogs shed their excesses.

To arrange Chris' grooming services for your pooch, call us anytime or ask us the next time you visit and we'll reserve some time in Chris' schedule.

In for a Penny - Could she be a Half-Pound?

We welcomed Penny to our pup population on Tuesday, when she came for a half-day visit to see if she liked our offering, and we were delighted to see her return for more yesterday. She's a little one-year-old Shih Tzu with the softest coat and the longest plume of a tail, and apparently no recognition of her limitations - she's trying to pick this thing up and take it to another corner.

The Dance as it should be performed

With Sasha and Mojo, we have a perfect illustration of the way dogs play.

It starts with a polite bow, to indicate this is meant to be play.

The Dance is only for two like-minded, consenting pooches, and be a blur of constant flowing motion and very even give and take from both parties.

Here, Mojo and Sasha are chasing a "satellite" - a great toy for all sizes of dog.

Sasha and Mojo met just today, but they're destined to be great friends.

Jax Just Joined us Today!

Such a funny little pooch - a total love bug with the biggest little feet. And unruly ears - sometimes they flop all the way back!

Watch out, though - when picked up, he tends to lick about the head and neck.

Stina's getting her face Jax-scrubbed. Apparently she enjoys it! 

Eric didn't mind so much either - he's still friends despite the through ear-washing and chewing he got a few minutes earlier. (See how clean they are!)

Now Jax is having some finger gnawing time with Eric.

Meet Sasha, Northern Beauty

Sasha Tornberg joined us as Dog 1. She's definitely an outdoorsy dog!

Gloria and Schuster fit right in with the Scampers pack

Gloria and Schuster are an active pair!

We were pleased to welcome Schuster and Gloria to Scampers this morning. They are fun pups with plenty of energy and plenty of moxie too.

Nose to Nose to Nose - Gloria, Rosie and Schuster introduce themselves

It was fun to see that these former neighbors of Sasha’s were delighted to meet up with their old friend, and they all spent lots of time in good healthy play, punctuated by the occasional nap.

Meet Sasha, Northern Beauty

Sasha Tornberg joined us on Day 1.

She's an outdoorsy dog!

Scampers Opens Monday, October 25th

Great news!  Scampers Daycamp for Dogs is now fully operational with official approvals from both the King County Board of Health and the City of Kirkland!  We’re opening for business on Monday, October 25^th, and we’re already taking bookings for temperament screenings.

For more information, or to arrange your screening appointment for your dog(s), call 425-821-9100 or visit our brand new site:  www.scampersdogs.com

We look forward to meeting all of your best friends and being able to give them all the tummy rubs they can handle!

Why Choose Doggy Daycare?

Our canine companions offer us unconditional love in our busy lives, yet we are challenged to find time to exercise them and give them a full, active and interactive experience. Instead, we go off to work leaving them at home alone, and then we feel guilty.

To compound the guilt, we learn quickly that bored or lonely dogs suffer separation anxiety and develop undesirable behaviors like incessant barking and destructive chewing. (Whoops! Don’t forget to put away your Jimmy Choos!) We've all seen that  dogs who are left too long cannot “contain themselves”, so we come home to wet spots on the floor.

We love our dogs, so we do our best. We get home after a long day, and if we’re able to summon up some reserved energy, and if it’s not too wet outside, we drag ourselves off the sofa to harness up our pooches and take them outside for a run, maybe to the local off-leash park.

Dogs are pack animals. They thrive when given a chance to interact within a pack, so when they reach the off-leash park, they practically explode with enthusiasm. Yay! Time to play!

But who are those other dogs romping freely around the park? How can you be sure they are fully immunized, flea-free and friendly?  

Contrary to popular belief, a pooch who’s wagging his tail at you isn’t saying, “I’m friendly; come play with me.” He’s saying, “Sure, I’ll engage.” “Engage in what?” is an important question. If he’s stiff and staring directly at your dog, you should know it’s probably not his intention to play nice. And what happens when a dog becomes so aroused he slips into his limbic brain where he is so consumed by his instincts he is incapable of hearing his owner call him? Even the gentlest of dogs can suddenly launch into a deadly dogfight with very little warning.

Doggy Daycare offers dogs a fun environment where supervised safe socialization and exercise fill their days, and free play and free napping - alongside dogs who have been screened for both personality and health - provide a realistic pack experience while taking the guilt, chewed Jimmy Choos, and wet spots on the carpet out of their owners’ lives.

(Useful tidbits: In the dog world, it’s rude to look directly into a dog’s eyes before you’ve gotten to know him; it’s disrespectful to pat him on the head, and bending over him to do so is considered aggressive.)

Introducing Whiskey, the perfect Houseguest

Whiskey: Perpetual Poetry in Motion

Whiskey joined the Hughes household this week while her people are in Hawaii. Whiskey is a Beagle x King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, and she's soft and cuddly and constantly wiggling. She and Rosie are a great pair, often found cuddled together. Spats and Trixie still aren't sure, though.

Whiskey's a great fan of food - she'd accept any food, anytime, from anybody, for any reason. But she's sticking to a strict diet according to her people's rules, even though she's probably wiggly enough that she'd maintain her puppy-ish figure anyway.

She's super talented too. Her people have taught her a bunch of fun tricks like "High Five", "Back Up", "Stick Em Up / Bang" - she falls over and plays dead!

While she's staying with the Hughes family, she comes in with Stina to Scampers each day to hang out with Rosie and Biscuit while we prepare for our opening day (which, by the way, is COMING SOON!)

Butt Naked Biscuit Sits Again and Again and Again!

Poor Biscuit got her tail end shaved a bit more than her modesty can accommodate! She'll walk a few steps with her tail curled all the way to one side, and then she curls her tail all the way to the other side, and then she sits! And sits. And sits again!

Rosie's Photo Shoot Results - What a Photogenic Pooch!

Rosie's just Lookin' to be Loved

Rosie The Explorer?

Scampers Breaks Ground with Ground Breaking Technology

After months of preparation and discussion and design and design revision not to mention application and approval, today we broke ground on our exterior work, with installation of our rain garden.

InHarmony's Bryan LaComa looks on as the digging begins.

No, this is not where the dogs will be playing. This is where the water that runs off their play places will be filtered into the ground after being scientifically but naturally processed through the correct strata of the correct soils and sands and indigenous plants' roots, which renders this run-off clean.

Our rain garden designer and contractor is InHarmony sustainable gardens. Visit their website for more information on this wonderful technology, so perfect for the Pacific Northwest.

Their work will finish in about a week, and then our fencing will be installed, and once that's been completed and all our work has been inspected and approved, we'll be .... TA DAHHHH welcoming our first customers. We'll keep you posted.

Scampers Numbers Expanded by One - Introducing "The Dude"

We are so happy to announce that Eric Olsgaard has joined the Scampers team as of October 1st.

Stina has known Eric for some years, and Linda has gotten to know him since moving to Redmond in July. Eric's an enormous help with an enormous heart and and an enormous work ethic that the Scampers co-founders promise will never go unappreciated or unrecognized.

Eric comes to Scampers with a ton of experience in everything from logistics to construction to interior decor - and, no, he was not the decorator! He's the dude who installed, with Gregg's help, all that rolled rubber flooring. He's the dude who is this very moment installing the shelf that our music box (boom box!) will sit on - see his pic below. (BTW: Moments later he fixed the latch on our entry gate!) He's the dude who will touch up the "holidays" in our epoxy paint job, and the dude who will coordinate the various contractors who are about to descend on Scampers to finish the job. He's The Dude, a perfect complement to the team of The Redhead and The Brunette.

Here's The Dude, Eric

Eric is a super dog-friendly guy, and all the dogs know it. Maybe they can somehow tell that he sports a tat of "Big Dog". Maybe they've noticed he is almost always wearing dog motif-ed shirts. Or maybe he's sporting some special scent - courtesy of Mojo and Buddy. Mojo and Buddy are Eric's pooches, a couple of little white moppish things that clearly have a solid hold on his heart... well, except for the great big part of his heart that is devoted to his wife, Lisa, the goddess of haircutting and color. We're so grateful to Lisa that she's willing to share him with us.

Building Permit Application APPROVED ... (but)

HOORAY HOORAY AND HOORAY AGAIN! We received word from our Hero, Duncan, that our Building Permit was approved. We were in the car on the way to Home Depot to buy more hardware when Stina's cell phone rang. (It must have looked strange to anyone looking on to see two women teary and giddy as they pawed through the bins looking for lipstick red caribiner rings.)

We were almost a week late, but at least the permit had been approved as designed (Yes, the number of parking spaces was fine!) and we would finally be able to get crews going on the buildout of the rain garden and exterior fencing, and on the laundry room.

It wasn't until later that we realized we hadn't actually been given the news by a City employee. That call would come much later in the day.

When it did finally come, we jumped into my car to dash up to City Hall and pick up our building permit. That's when we got the bad news.

Yes, we could pick up our Building Permit, if we paid for the various fees attached to it. We were ready for that. We knew there would be fees. We were expecting a bill of about $1,000. We were not expecting a bill for over $7,500. That includes a Traffic Impact Assessment of over $6,500.

There it is. The next hoop for us to jump through. Only this one's in flames!

Apparently the City of Kirkland thinks we are going to attract so much new traffic to the Totem Lake neighborhood that it will cost $6,500 in new pavement, stripe painting, bulbs for stop lights ... Apparently this is the way the City pays for public works.

The figure is based on an intricate system of base fees and multipliers. The Traffic Engineer was so proud to advise that $6,500 was in fact very low. His original figure was about $60,000, but he was able to bring it down to $30,000 and then again to $6,500.

What we perceived was a series of arbitrary decisions. If the figure could be brought from $60,000 to $6,500, why not to $1,000? Why not zero, for that matter? Well, we do not expect to reach zero. We do understand the concept of traffic impacts and the associated costs, and recognize we should bear our fair share. Stina was given a cursory tour of the math, and was able to identify one particular area where the Traffic Engineer had gone wrong. He estimated that only 25% our customer base would be derived from passers-by, and that the remaining 75% would be making a special trip to come to our shop. But despite civil debate, the Traffic Engineer would stand firm. And we were not convinced of any fairness.

We know that 25% is an incorrect factor. We are on the feeder route between I-405 and the Microsoft campus and all the tech companies on Willows, and that those who commute to those jobs from Bothell, Kenmore, Mill Creek, Lynnwood and Everett drive past our front door. We also recognized that the residents to the south and east of our location use this road to travel to their jobs at Evergreen Hospital, and in Bothell, Kenmore, Mill Creek, Lynnwood and Everett.

We've already had several visitors because we erected our sign.



We chose this location for the passby traffic. 42,000 cars pass by our storefront every day.



We know that at least 40% of our market will come to us because they see us on their way to work in the mornings, now especially, since we've installed our new monument sign at the streetside.

We called on our Hero, again.

The next morning, Duncan was able to meet with the Traffic Engineer and learned the formula for the calculations. Once we had that detail, we were able to understand just how large a magnitude the tweaking of that passby factor could have on the bottom line.


Armed with our information, we suggested to the Traffic Engineer that this factor of 25% should be changed to about 40%, which reduced the assessment to less than $1,000, but he would not accept our word. He said, "Bring me data."

So off we went in search of data. We contacted the owners of 4 doggy day cares located on major roads in Seattle and asked them what their numbers were. In all cases, their estimates were over 50%, and described as "conservative estimates".  



Dana M., the owner of Fuzzy Buddy's on Aurora had tracked her sources using Quick Books and was able to run a report for us, very generously interceding on our behalf with an extremely well crafted communique to our friend, the Traffic Engineer. He's not sure when he will have time to study her data. He was not willing to accept the anecdotal data from the other owners, despite the fact that one of those was Rick Beaubelle, the owner of Seattle Canine Club and president of the Seattle Dog Daycare Association.



As incensed as we were to have to leave City Hall without our permit, yet again, we started making calls. First was to our Hero. Then, at his recommendation, we began extending our appeal to senior individuals in the Public Works department, and we hope they will soon arrive at a correct and fair assessment, which we will be willing to pay.

For any new business just preparing to open its doors, an extra expenditure - whether $1,500 or $6,500 - is an awful shock. Had the traffic impact assessment been designed as a fee to be paid at the end of Year 1, or in installments, it could have been made manageable, although it would impact the year's profits.  For many new businesses, the amount might as well be $60,000.

The correct time to advise entrepreneurs who plan on entering the Kirkland market that they should be prepared to pay a Traffic Impact Assessment fee of several - to tens of - thousands of dollars is at the beginning of the process, before they commit to their lease, before they make purchases and commitments to suppliers and service providers, and to their clients, before they leave their former jobs, move to a new city (or, as in my case, a new country). The Traffic Engineer was included in our fact finding tour at the beginning of May, and while he advised us there would be a Traffic Impact Assessment fee to be paid, we were under the impression we could expect a fee in the order of a few hundred dollars.

So, we continue our battle. We still do not have our Building Permit. We anticipate calling on our Hero again for one last charge of the doggy brigade. We believe we will be victorious. And maybe, after all of this, the City of Kirkland will reconsider its Traffic Impact Assessment fee structure. 

From Tears and Tantrums to Titanesses-to-Be

We met a wonderful hero today. He has pledged to take up our cause, to charge into the den of frustration and obstruction, and to help us to be victorious.

After yet another delay, which came in the form of a late spate of questions from the Building Department, most of which were on subjects already addressed or inappropriate to our application, we finally called on some help.

Dr Duncan Milloy was introduced to us in a welcome letter from the mayor of Kirkland as an advocate for businesses focusing on business retention. But I told him our story anyway, my voice quavering with frustration, and when he'd heard our litany of issues, he volunteered to come to our site immediately to review our concerns and provide us with advice and direction. He was here within 15 minutes.

With his reassurance that we are truly doing everything correctly, we were able to refocus and respond to the questions posed, confident that the end result will be positive and forthcoming.

Dr Milloy's approach is decidedly genteel, intelligent, respectful and thoughtful, and he has offered to be our advocate and intermediary if ever we cannot speak for ourselves. He is our hero.

Calling on the Fates, and Readers

Today is the day we learn whether - or how much of - our permit application will be approved by the City of Kirkland.

This has already been a harrowing process, leaving us feeling at times like we're playing pinball, but we're the pinballs being bounced around for someone's amusement; at other times we seem to be playing pin the tail on the donkey, and the donkey keeps kicking; or it could be musical chairs, and we're really  not sure whether, after all this dizzying and exhausting running around, there will be a place to settle.

Two weeks ago, we submitted our application to install a laundry area, a 6' high fence around the dog play area and a rain garden to filter the storm runoff to the neighboring "wetland" (populated by old tires and rusty something or other). We have reduced our outdoor dog play area to accommodate the 10' setback requirements (our neighbor is a pipe warehouse); we've upgraded our interior fencing gates to be wheelchair accessible. We think we've answered every concern the City could possibly have, but we're simple businesswomen, not contractors. We've never experienced the maze that is the Planning Dept/Dept of Public Works/and ... who else? It seemed they had a neverending supply of hoops for us to jump through. Today we find out if there are any more.

My fear is that the eight parking spaces we have will be deemed inadequate. (Although that would be unreasonable, as we will have more parking spaces here than most if not all other Doggy Daycares in King County.) But we are located on a major thoroughfare, so there is no on-street parking. We've paid for people to sit for four hours, over two days, and count the traffic at a comparable doggy daycare, and then to sit in our neighbor's parking lot for four hours, over two days and count traffic in their parking lot. And we're now paying the City's Traffic Engineer to generate an analysis of the data. And if he feels we must have more parking spaces, we're delayed again while we redesign our rain garden to accommodate whatever number he comes up with, reducing even further our dog play space. Oh, the anxiety!

Please, Fates, help them to find in our favor. We've been good girls. We've tried so hard to be nice, to be accommodating. And to all you readers out there, please wish us luck.

Interior Fencing - DONE!

Who knew some chain link fences could be so incredibly exciting?!

For Stina and me, this lovely stuff is the proof that the dream is coming true, that the vision can be made into a reality.

This fencing is powder coated with the glossiest black, and only 3 feet high, with swing gates designed for ease of access for humans, but the dogs will be well contained, visible, safe, and I hope they will enjoy the cool factor of designer black gloss powder coated steel.

Here's the entry gate. It works a lot like the airlock in a spaceship. First you get the dog inside the door, and once the door is closed, open the gate. No escapes, no unwanted or uncontrolled meetings.

The "fire hydrant" you see is purely decorative, and will soon be moved into our back or side garden, which will be installed as soon as the City of Kirkland is able to approve our permit applications. (Maybe Friday??)  

These fences will be augmented by a system of  "ex-pens" (exercise pens) that can be moved in mere moments, and as easily rearranged into oblongs, ovals, or long stretches which are supported by Triangles of Power (to maintain their verticality). Ex-pens work well to subdivide the spaces into lively dog / quiet dog, big dog / small dog spaces. You can see one which had been in use earlier, but is now set aside - Biscuit, the mop toward the right side of the runway pictured, is guarding it.

Biscuit Sits

This is one of Biscuit's favorite spots - we've put two dog beds down along the back wall of our office for Biscuit and Rosie. This is how Biscuit sits and watches while I'm working on my computer.

Mojo and Buddy

Eric O. comes to the Scampers Family with Mojo and Buddy. They look like they'll fit right in!

The Power of a Decorated Fleet!

We met two new friends on Friday, because of our car art!

First was Amy J, who found us having a bite to eat outside Panera in Redmond. She recognized us by the two dogs at our feet. She'd spotted the car parked a few yards away, and was excited to read about a nearby Doggy Daycare. She has a large Labradoodle who needs some social time. I'm hoping we'll see him at our Grand Opening.

An hour later, in Overlake, we met Diane. She was parked next to us, and when we emerged from the shop, she asked about Scampers location. It seems her Mojo needs a place like Scampers for the occasional half-day while Diane plays MahJong.
Way to go, Karen of Stripe Graphics, and Joel and the team at Olympic Reprographics - Thanks for doing such a great job!

And Diane and Amy, we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Flooring Woes (Whoa's?)

Oh, Dear! Oh, Woe is Scampers new floor. Scampers new floor is Whoa'd.

When Stina found that gorgeous Black with 17% Lipstick Red Fleck recycled rubber flooring, we were thrilled! To bits!

5000 square feet of recycled rubber flooring is a rather large order, so we were not too concerned to learn that the order had been split between two separate factories, having been reassured that the colors would be a perfect match.

When Tran arrived and rolled nine massive rolls of 50' long rubber off the back of the truck into our loading bay, I was excited, if a little frightened - for Tran as well as for our new rubber. When the second fellow arrived the next day with two pallets, each with 16 rolls of 25' long rubber, something seemed a little off. But! The boys were going to come and install them on Sunday. Yippee!

12 hours of work by two hard-working men, who installed flooring into the hardest most complicated corners, followed by 12 hours of work by two hard-working old broads, who wrestled with the stickiest blackest goo you can imagine to seal the seams, and what do we discover? One guess! The two factories sent us floor of two different thicknesses! We almost had a 1/8" step in our floors!



1/4 Inch - Not right



3/8" - The Right Stuff



And not only that, of the 32 rolls of the wrong stuff, which is the first stuff we'd used, 11 were completely unusable because their edges so badly ruffled they  looked like they could be made into flamenco costumes.

Well, this morning, the first call Stina made was to the rubber flooring company. They're going to make it right. Well, I know they will, but will they reinstall the new shipment? Will they do the caulking? Oh, I sure hope so, because we are truly tuckered out now and can't even imagine ripping this floor up starting all over again.

Rosie and Biscuit like it. We're a little less happy with it.

Flooring Underway!

Okay - once the flooring arrived (it came in two instalments from two different suppliers arriving on two different days), we were finally able to start the installation.

Gregg and Eric got to work, and boy, it turns out that laying this stuff is really hard work.

Cutting angles and corners in dense rubber flooring, to make it fit perfectly.

Fun Times with City Halt

As sent to Sarah:

Originally, we had planned to open this coming Monday. Actually, we had planned to have a Grand Opening Open House tonight, even, but we've run into the quagmire of the City of Kirkland. We were expecting to have a challenge with the King County Board of Health, as we are the first dog daycare to open since they rewrote their regulations on animal care and kennels, but other than a couple of rather over the top requirements (double-bag the poop?!) that we were able to handle, they've been great. On the other hand, the permitting process through the City of Kirkland has been more of a by-guess and by-golly experience for us. We've had several of our contractors exclaim that the City staffers must be using our application to keep themselves busy, as they really don't have any other new applications coming through the door while the economy has been so poor. So we're their entertainment, paying fee after fee, when we could be open, hiring tax paying citizens, and being a tax paying business... Today, we submit our revised and improved application, with every single requirement addressed and proven. Wish us luck.

Whoo Hooo! New Logo-Wear for Scampers Folks

We received our special, logotized togs today. Oh, we're gonna look soooo special! Stina's favorite is the denim apron, but for me, the fleecy jacket is fabulous. Kudos to Instant Imprints - quick, perfect, fun to do business with.

Oh, A Pox upon the Teens Mucking up Epoxy Paint!

Sarah's scraping the carpet glue off the concrete in preparation for our new rubber flooring.
The three teens, Sarah, Katrina and Blake, did a lot of hard, ugly, messy work and we were grateful.

The King County Board of Health recommends painting the bottom 48" of all our walls with  epoxy paint.

$600 later, we hired ourselves a "work crew" of summer-bored kids. Three 14 year olds and expensive paint - bad combo. Well, we learned something there!

But after a stern talking-to, they bucked down and did a great job of the finish coats, and we now have a stylish two-tone space.

p.s. I realized after a re-read that I did not give these hard-working young people near enough credit. Granted they were a little less than perfect on Day 1, and perhaps a bit more focused on the head-banging rock 'n roll blaring from the boombox than on the precision of their painting, but they did get a full day's work done, and on Day 2 they were fabulous and the end result is quite cool, so we truly are very grateful to them for their dedication and effort. And we had fun too!

Decorating The Fleet

It's a great thing to be able to work with caring and competent/excellent suppliers! We have had the best luck in that regard.

Our Honda Elements are wonderful to behold, thanks to Karen Cowl of Stripe Graphics and Joel Roberts and the gang at Olympic Reprographics.

We're getting noticed, and since we're spending a lot of time on the road getting things done, we're getting noticed a lot!

Behold!

Biscuit's New "Do"

With special thanks to Kasi, of Petco in Redmond, here's the new and improved look that our precious Biscuit's sporting.
Wow! You can even see her eyes!

Dogs 1 and 2

Meet Rosie and Biscuit.

Rosie's on the Right. She's Dog 1. She is a 4 year old beagle, a rescue dog adopted 3 years ago. An unassuming pooch, she's gentle and loving, a truly wonderful beast with ears like warm velvet and a frequently happy tail. She loves rabbit poop.

Biscuit is the fuzzy wonder on the Left. She's Dog 2, also 4 years old and a rescue dog. She was just adopted three weeks ago. She's a picky eater, until it comes to others' food, a talented dancer and jumper, loves to show off, and truly hates to be away from her human.

Biscuit's human is Linda, The Brunette, co-founder of Scampers Daycamp for Dogs. Biscuit's had a haircut since this photo was taken.

Rosie's human is Stina, The Redhead, co-founder of Scampers Daycamp for Dogs.

This was the day Biscuit was adopted, when they first met. It was great to see that Biscuit and Rosie became good friends immediately. Good thing, because they're hanging out together all the time.

Why Scampers?

Dogs are pack animals.

Dogs thrive when given a chance to interact within a pack, where safe play and exercise fill their days, where socialization can last longer than stolen moments at the local off-leash park, where free play and free napping allow for a more realistic pack experience.

No More Guilt!

Our canine companions offer us unconditional love within our busy lives, yet we are challenged to find time to provide sufficient exercise for our dogs.

A Busy Dog is a Happy Dog.

Boredom often leads to undesirable behaviors: destructibe chewing, incessant barking, peeing in your home. Scampers Daycamp for Dogs takes the guilt and poor behavior out of your lives.

You'll be thrilled with the difference in your life and your dog!

Coming Soon - Scampers Daycamp for Dogs

We're just weeks away from opening our doors to Scampers Daycamp for Dogs, at 12532 NE 124th Street in Kirkland, Washington.

We've been working like demons - a ton of work already done, and another ton to be done before September 13th. Yes, 13th. It's actually a LUCKY number!!

The office and kitchen/meeting room have been built, and we're just waiting for the second coat of paint to dry before we move our office furniture in and take up our posts.
Still to be done:

• Scrape the old glue off the floors and patch in preparation for laying down the 3/8" rubber flooring - healthier for the pups' joints, and the humans' too!
• Paint the bottom 48" of the walls with a skookum coating of epoxy paint (over a skookum coat of specialized primer).
• Receive and install the 4000 sq ft of rubber flooring.
• Order, receive and install the fencing.
• Admire the rain garden as it is installed. Lovely! And a wonderful way to ensure that any runoff is well and truly filtered ... naturally.
• Install the "hydrants". Pedicure Red!
• Admire the signage as it is installed. Hey, busy, hardworking dog-owners, we're here for you!
• Receive and don our beautiful logowear. So cool!

Oh, I'm sure there's more to do, but we're remembering in time and getting it all done. We'll keep you posted as things advance.

Hey, hardworking dog-owners in Kirkland / Redmond / Bothell / Woodinville ... , we'll be here for you soon.

Introducing Linda, The Brunette

Linda Olsen relocated to Redmond from Vancouver, BC to partner up with her sister, Stina, and become a co-founder of Scampers. Linda chose to take the leap following a long career in executive support in various industries including franchising, real estate development, and engineering. She also brings extensive experience in retail sales management and customer service.

Linda adopted her pooch, Biscuit, shortly after moving to Redmond. Biscuit is a charming four year old apricot “Bichoodle” (Bichon Frise x Poodle) who has a tendency to be fearful but has learned not to bark since joining the Olsen household. The pack socialization process at Scampers Daycamp for Dogs will help Biscuit to become less fearful as she learns her place in the pack.

Biscuit’s feline friend is Frankie, a senior Siamese/Tabby who was willing to accept the cuddly pooch into the household once he was reassured that his status of King remains unchallenged.

Introducing Stina Hughes, The Redhead

Stina Hughes is the founder of Scampers Daycamp for Dogs. While living in Massachusetts, Stina adopted Rosie, a lovely but skittish beagle (better described as a nose with feet, as she has tendency to trot off to follow every interesting scent). Shortly after adopting Rosie, Stina discovered the nearby doggy daycare was her perfect solution to a busy family and work life.

A few years later, when the Hughes family returned from New England to the Pacific Northwest, Stina was unable to find a convenient location for doggy daycare to keep Rosie busy during workdays. She decided she could solve the problem, not only for herself but also for other Eastside residents, by opening Scampers Daycamp for Dogs.

Stina comes to the doggy daycare industry after a checkered career that includes database marketing, business administration and interior design. She brings a whole lot of love for animals in general, and dogs in particular.

Stina is married to Lindsay, a Market Research Analyst with Microsoft. Their daughter, Sarah, is a student at Redmond Junior High School, and a talented musician and athlete. Other members of the Hughes family are Spats and Trixie, Rosie’s feline friends.

Introducing The Rain Garden Concept for Scampers

From http://www.inharmony.com/

When we found our location in the Totem Lake area, we were so pleased with the wonderfully accessible driveway, the spacious and bright building, the busy streetfront used by workers commuting to the technology companies in Redmond and along the Willows corridor. We didn't notice immediately that our property is adjacent to a wetland which is part of the Totem Lake.

We had to face facts: Pooches poop. And despite our very best efforts of immediate scooping and scrubbing with disinfecting cleaner, there will be some amount of animal "essence" to be rinsed into the city's sewer system, and conceivably into the water table.

We knew that, with a certain amount of plumbing work, we could squeegee these essences into the city's sewer system, but (quite understandably) the City of Kirland did not want us to be adding storm water run-off to the work their wastewater treatment plant was handling. And it rains in Kirkland.

Stacey Rush of the City of Kirkland was able to give us a great solution which will result in nice clean water reaching our water table.

The issue of issue-laden run-off is solved, in Scampers case, by a wonderfully natural and decorative technology, the Rain Garden.

A Rain Garden is a carefully designed depression in the landscape, which has been layered with certain soils and rocks and pebbles, and then planted with indigenous species which works together to collect, absorb and filter stormwater and run-off so that nothing unpleasant reaches the water table.

We found InHarmony Sustainable Landscapes through the web, and were immediately impressed with their expertise, but also with their willingness to work with us to design our Rain Garden to accommodate our needs as well as meeting the requirements of the City of Kirkland.

So, we'll be keeping your water clean by cleaning our water - naturally - before it leaves us.

Venue on 124th - First Visit

After months of careful search, Stina found a spot she thinks will be ideal for our new venture, Scampers Daycamp for Dogs.

Doggy Daycare has become one of the fastest growing industries in North America for a reason: North Americans really love their dogs. They care for them as family members, and that includes everything from gourmet foods to matching designer collars, leashes, raincoats and carry bags. We understand that because we love our dogs too.

Stina's beagle, Rosie, has benefited so much from her time in Doggy Daycare in Massachusetts, and when the Hughes family moved back to the Pacific Northwest, it was hard to find a doggy daycare near their new home in Redmond.

Well, we've decided to fix that for the residents of the east side of Lake Washington. Our ideal location is 1/2 mile from I-405 at Exit 20, easily accessed by commuters passing through the Totem Lake area heading toward the Microsoft campus.

Here we are in the location:

Looking toward the front of the shop.

Looking toward the front of the shop.

Looking toward the back of the shop.

View of the back area - Large dog play area!

We could clearly see that this was a perfect shop and it also had a great (HUGE!) outdoor area, and it could not be better located for ease of access by our market.

Our next hurdles were: (1) Will the landlord accept our proposed use? and (2) Does the zoning of the City of Kirkland allow for our proposed use? With a call and a visit, we had positive responses to both, and so we set off on our project. But those are the next two stories.