Print Taking dogs on a joy ride
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In the waning days of fall the air turns as crisp as the falling leaves and those with outdoor employment generally desire better labor conditions. But one such labor ignores environmental concerns as it turns into a daily joy ride, requiring its workers to chauffeur 13 canine companions between home and one of Rochester’s distinctive dog parks for exercise and socialization.
Sonja Irmen has operated Sonja’s Pet Services in the Rochester, Minnesota, area since 2004. Her business arose from a need by professionals and other workers with dogs unable to arrange to be home for lunch to allow their canine compatriots a few minutes of yard time.
Irmen recently refurbished the bright red Doggie Park Express bus seen traveling Rochester’s streets to allow up to 20 dogs to ride in style to the parks they visit on a daily basis. Irmen had initially planned to remove all of the bus’ seats, but soon found that the larger dogs loved looking out the windows as they made their way around the circuit to pick up their pals.
The dogs transported by this service have become more than just somebody’s pets to Irmen and her helper Dave Schulze, and they half-jokingly claim partial ownership of their consistently friendly cargo. Schulze drives the bus and provides additional exercise support for those pups that love to chase tennis balls.
“We get them from the tennis club in Rochester,” Schulze said, noting that their pet service consumes 30 to 50 of the bright yellow orbs each month. Several of Schulze’s playful pooches oblige him by competing to retrieve balls he throws using a device specially constructed for the task.
Clearly a labor of love, the Doggie Park Express brings joy to the faces of other park participants whenever it pulls up to the gate, to the owners of each hound, who can relax and trust that their pets are well cared for, and to the faces of Irmen and Schulze beyond the business model that allows them to joy ride and play at work every day.
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