"I'm super proud because after doing this for almost 18 years, you learn a few things."
Julie Castaneda went from operating a doggy daycare out of her home in 1997 while raising a family, to now being the president and CEO of Dog Day Afternoon Doggy Dude Ranch in Topeka.
She says she understood how protective people are of their furry kids, and that's how the business started.
"We couldn't find any place suitable to leave our own dogs so we decided to stay home. And if we were going to be home, we may as well care for pets."
Her hard work has her nominated in the Minority and Women Business of Distinction category.
"How cool is that, right? I know, I get to be my own boss and the boss of my husband. That's so fun!" Julie says.
Turning passion into two very successful facilities has not only earned her a nomination, but respect in the pet services industry."For us, it's meant doubled numbers over the past 18 months, which meant we needed to move dogs into another location, so this was perfect." Her north Topeka location opened in the beginning of April.
She's operated her first location on the west side of Topeka since 2000. They offer daily daycare services, boarding, overnight staffing (something Julie says no other pet business in Topeka has), grooming and more. And with thousands of square feet at both locations, a dog can never get bored.
Julie said one main thing she's really proud of about her business is that it's a structured environment. It's not just a free-for-all. She says if she can control 20 dogs with 5 simple words, a pet owner can definitely control their dog at home."Sit, wait, come, leave it, and off. My philosophy is, if every dog owner taught those five words we'd see fewer animals surrendered to the humane society for behavioral issues."
Julie's highly-trained staff works with each group of dogs every day - big and little - teaching those five words, building confidence, and doing outdoor exercises on the play equipment.
"It's so fun to watch a dog come from fearful to confident. And that we have actually established sustainable ways of doing that."
Julie swears your dog will come home better behaved after one day at her facility - mainly because of the great staff she has on board. "We're slow to hire, quick to fire," Julie says. "We bring people in and it's a developmental program. My new hires get at least 15 to 25 hours before they ever go to work with a dog. We have 16 modules of training long before we're trusting them with our dogs. Very few daycares across the country have the model we do."
These days Julie spends most of her time managing and traveling the country teaching other pet daycares how to be successful. "That's been super fun too," Julie says.
But it's her love for animals that got her where she's at - and keeping her there.
"It should draw you. You should be doing what you love to do."
Julie will find out if she wins in her category at the 35th annual Small Business Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 14 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. You can find out more about the annual Small Business Awards and see past winners at www.topekachamber.org.
To get in touch with Dog Day Afternoon, call 785-478-9412 or email dda@dogdayinc.com.
