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.