Doggie Goddess needs help

Hi. My name is Traci Kearney My husband Christopher Kearney and I have been together since September 2007. In our young 20s, we both worked full-time jobs. Struggling paycheck to paycheck, I decided to do pet sitting /dog walking on the side. My husband would help on his lunch breaks from ez-lube. 

That blossomed into Doggie Goddess. Together, Christopher and I became business owners and worked hard together 7 days a week, 365 days a year to entrust thousands of pet parents when it came to the well-being of their fur kids.

In January 2018, my husband was taken away from us. Our story can be found at https://www.freechriskearney.com/

It completely turned our world upside down. I was left to run the business alone which I had never done before. I had to hire staff to help me because we have three children that I also had to care for.

With my husband still wrongfully incarcerated awaiting a re-trial in 2020, the pandemic happened. I was able to still keep the business afloat because some parents still wanted care for their dogs so I continued to work which was a blessing. We survived the pandemic. However, I wasn't making enough to sustain the rent at our previous location And even though we were closed from March to September of 2020, the landlord expected the rent to be paid. (This is for the business location not our home rent. That, I paid with the funds that were still coming in from parents that still wanted their dogs watched)

In 2021, we were blessed with an opportunity to settle the past due balance from the pandemic and move. The move was something that Christopher and I had always dreamed about doing. Our dreams came true with two angels that were placed in our lives that believed in us and believed in our family and believed in our business and blessed us with the expansion of Doggie Goddess. It took months of searching, and quite frankly, it was very expensive to move. But I had always said if we don't go we can't grow. When everyone was in agreeance of the property that I was most interested in, a few months later, I had the keys. That was March of 2022. At this time my husband is still awaiting trial. But, we were weeks away (so we thought) over and over, so, the idea was, that he would come home and we would resume operations as we did previously. But we had help this time! I currently had two amazing employees that have been with us since 2019. So we were trying to play it out and see how we could operate the business now that we had more space, extended hours, basically a 24-hour ran and operated facility. So, I started off with hiring two more employees. Well, my husband's trial got delayed multiple times throughout the year of 2022 and I ended up with six total employees to help operate the business. That quickly became a financial burden. So one employee was let go, and I've had to cut hours drastically twice now to make ends meet just to pay the facility rent and still be able to pay my house rent, pay bills, and take care of our children and cover payroll. Lastly, I am now down to five employees because one has since resigned and moved to a different state.

I received help for January from private donations, and I was okay for February which was a great relief, but March is here and the facility rent is due. And I don't have the money for that rent in full. Payroll is also coming around again. And, I'm uneasy because I can't afford to lose another employee when we are so close to my husband's trial and I need to be present for that. I just need a boost to help with rent. I'm pretty sure I can handle payroll because I am now working 7 nights a week and two day shifts to cut the cost drastically from payroll. But if I can raise the funds to help with March rent and April rent then anything that the business makes, after bills and payroll, etc. I can put with the business makes towards May rent and be ahead is my prediction. The business generates revenue. But, it's still not enough to where I am not covering expenses on a tight rope, to where now, I'm completely depleted. I maxed out the business credit card that I applied for when we first moved to the new space. I never expected to have to do that. But it helped me with payroll late last year and rent. So, I know I've asked for help when it came to my husband and his defense as well as when we hit a bump in the road with the canine flu that shut us down for 3 weeks, but if anyone can donate or share so that the business that Christopher and I have been running since 2009 doesn't get in jeopardy of not necessarily closing its doors fully, but I don't know how I can get around not paying rent because I've never not paid rent. The rent is due you pay it. And the only way business can operate is if we have the building that we have. I've put off paying other bills because every time I clear a client's account I'm just trying to get up to the full rent amount for March so I'm behind a lot this month and it's only the 6th. I've never had a problem taking care of myself, My husband while he is gone, and the needs of our family and our household. So this is coming around full circle.

When we moved it was kind of like starting all over, and it's been a year now and we have new clients all throughout the week. We are just in the phase of waiting on the consistent flow and so many more ideas that we have that can help generate revenue but there's only so much that I can do without my husband here because we have kids. I can do training, we could expand our pickup and drop off service for parents that want their dogs to be transported. But it's very limited right now on services that we can provide because I'm stretched so thin right now.

This fundraiser is specifically for doggie goddess. Whether you use the fundraiser here or zelle, zelle is also attached to the business. For those that have been following my husband's story, you know I'm very transparent when it comes to funds and that will never change because I just appreciate anyone reading this right now especially as lengthy as it's getting.

If any questions arise, I can be reached anytime and I will respond as soon as I can.

Thank you again for taking the time to read this and please share.