by Wilson F. Fang
For those of us who grew up watching Lassie running around a farm that seemed to have more open space than Montana, the notion of having pets in a city with environs as constricted as San Francisco must seem a mite inappropriate. At the very least, shouldn't Rover be able to, well, rove around something bigger than the postage-stamp sized backyards (or worse, apartments) that are endemic to residences in highly urbanized areas? That then gives rise to the concern of who is to ensure that pets get appropriate care and exercise when their owners are apt to be busy enjoying the accoutrements of urban living that drew them to live in the city in the first place.
Meeting Jeanie Mullan, one of the owners of top-notch pet care specialists Blue Collar Pets, quickly put to rest my apprehensions about raising a pet in a city environment. "In our experience we've found that pets raised in the city often tend to be a lot better behaved than many pets raised in the suburbs," she asserts. She attributes this to the fact that pets raised in the 'urbs as opposed to the 'burbs have more of an opportunity to socialize with other animals, and become more attuned to the challenges of living in a world where they have a multitude of sensory inputs coming their way. As we spoke, Ivy, her 5 year old Staffordshire-Rhodesian Ridgeback mix saunters merrily into the room and settles comfortably in her doggie bed, conveniently providing a prime example of Jeanie's point.
Well, that tidbit of information certainly took care of my first worry. As for the second, well, that's what an outfit like Blue Collar Pets is for. A blue-blooded pet services agency, whose slogan is "Live. Work. Breathe. Dogs," San Francisco-based Blue Collar, somewhat contrary to its motto, caters to the needs of pets of all persuasions (a bit like the city it operates in).
It all started back in 1997, when Shane Mullan, Jeanie's husband, was a student at San Francisco State University. He used to take his dog for walks during the day, and would occasionally run into other owners out with their pets. People would compliment him on how well he handled his dog, and offered to pay him to take care of their pets. And so the college student started reevaluating just how much he wanted to go down a conventional career path. Apparently, not as much as he wanted, because he ended up choosing pet care as a profession.
And not only did Shane's love of animals lead to livelihood, it also led him to true love. Jeanie met her husband while she was out walking her dog, Ivy, in Alamo Square Park. Impressed by how he handled the animals under his care, Jeanie asked about becoming a potential client. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history.
Initially the couple handled everything themselves--walking dogs, making appointments, running the business. But their reputation spread, and clients came walking, and crawling, and sometimes flying in. So now they have a staff of four who assist them in walking dogs, feeding cats, making sure Polly has her crackers, and help out with all the other tasks that a pet services provider can be expected to offer its clients. They currently offer dog walking, in-home pet care, boarding, and pet shuttling, among other things. For those of you wondering, as I was, just what "pet shuttling" is, it's actually like a limo service for pets, enabling Fifi to make her vet or groomer appointments if "Mommy" or "Daddy" aren't available to drive. A car service of your very own--I should be so lucky.
The list doesn't end with the ones enumerated above, though. "We're constantly looking for other services we can add to the list of those we already offer our clients," says Jeanie. Among the new amenities they are introducing include pet photography, dog training, and a few that Jeanie says, with a sly giggle, "are confidential."
So the world awaits what new things Shane and Jeanie have to offer. In the meantime, they have over 200 clients to keep them very busy. "People sometimes have this idea that this is a real easy job," volunteers Jeanie, "and yes, it can be a lot of fun. But it's also a lot of work." I tell her all I can picture are a bunch of laid-back animal lovers walking a bunch of friendly animals in a sunny park while the rest of us have to slave away in a nondescript office. She laughs, and replies, "Yeah. A lot of folks think that. And that can be a perk!" But she then follows up by saying that it's not all fun and games. "What people don't see is all the effort that goes into the job as well." There's going from residence to residence to pick up or care for the animals, having to coordinate schedules, the responsibility for the animals under your care, etc., etc. The staff even goes to the extent of keeping a Pet Log, chronicling the animals' habits and behavior, better to keep owners in the loop with regard to the lives of their beloved pets. She finishes by saying, "And of course, there are the days when it's raining and wet and muddy and we're still out in the park with the dogs…."
Okay, point taken. So maybe it's not all wine and roses in the pet services world. But she is quick to avow that she is definitely enjoying the work they do. "I love animals, and so does everyone who works with us--to the point where we actually form emotional bonds with the pets we care for." In fact, their care and concern for their creature clientele is so overriding that they do not accept business from owners whom they perceive to be less-than-committed to the duties of pet care. As Jeanie states, "We prescreen all new clients, and make sure that they're not the kind of people who'll be happy with us coming in once a day to feed their dog that's tied to a post in the yard or something."
That kind of commitment means that they are able to form long-lasting relationships with customers, which redounds to the benefit of the pets they care for. Indeed, she and her husband have formed close friendships with several of their clients, friendships that she avers would have otherwise never happened had they not gone into this particular vocation.
When asked if she has any final thoughts about having a pet in the city, she looks outside, seeing the panorama of the Golden Gate Park panhandle stretch outside her living room window. She refers to the recently-hot issue of dogs being left to run unleashed in Federally-owned land in the City, and answers, "Having a pet in the city means having to understand that you live here with a variety of different people, all of whom have the right to use parks and sidewalks equally. And it's to everyone's benefit if we learn to share the resources that we have responsibly, without having to make any sort of big fuss about it." Certainly, the only fuss this amiable animal loving lady wants to make is over her beloved charges. "I love being around animals, and I wouldn't trade this for anything!" she says with infectious enthusiasm. As if on cue, Ivy rises from her bed, bounds over to Jeanie, and gives a loud, happy bark.
For more information about Blue Collar Pets, you can contact Jeanie and Shane Mullan at 415.776.7349, check out their website, www.bluecollarpets.com, or e-mail them at pets@bluecollarpets.com.
Wilson F. Fang
Photos by Jeanie Mullan
