
Doggy Daycare troubles
My name is Michelle and I am the owner and operator of our home based dog daycare in Surrey BC. I have run my home based business for almost 12 years now with the help from both my girls. It's almost at capacity and was giving us enough of an income that we could offer one of my girls a fulltime position working with me.
Our system works great and we found a second location very similar the original one, to start another daycare. The daycares in the new neighborhood were just fancy kennels, and we pride ourselves in operating an open concept daycare that does not use kennels or crates. We do not separate the dogs into different groups. We believe in the power of the pack!
So we decided we would open a second location so my daughter could work a small group of 15 dogs, and I would build up a small group of 15 dogs, do my dog training, and we would work together to grow our family businesses.
I found a new location with a boat house /work shop in the back yard of 2 acres and a large home in South Surrey.
The City allowed my business lisence, so the landlord was willing to allow my business to operate and we signed a 5 year lease.
My oldest daughter and her husband and 2 year old son moved into the original location, which was my home, and I moved to the new location with my youngest daughter, her partner and their 3 month old baby boy.
A week into living there we discovered some very discouraging things.
Our septic system was failing and the sewage was coming up the pipes to the bathtub and toilette. A constant stench in the backyard, which the Fortis gas worker I called in emergency said was not gas we could smell but the septic.
On top of that the electrical scared me. It would arch and go hot or work just fine. I hired an electrician to come and do work the landlord had promised me he would look after, and didn't. The he refused to reimburse us. He also did not complete the work he promised to do regarding the plumbing, septic, removal of past tenant garbage, repair broken windows and closet doors and a missing fridge, install the shower, or even clean the house.
When looking at all the things going on, we quickly deduced that this house had been used as a grow op. Heavy security had been installed and then removed leaving a total mess of locks on doors and doors kicked in and broken. All things he said would be fixed before move in date of May 1st.
The septic had been tampered with to vent the smell from the grow op, which now has ruined the integrity of the tank. Very obvious signs now that I can look closer.
I felt very discouraged and totally defeated. My dream was coming to a dead halt and I realized my family and business was in trouble. I was not able to continue the business safely.
My insurance wouldn't cover me due to the danger of the yard and the electrical issues, and all the money spent on construction and putting up walls to building fences and doing landscaping has depleted any funds. I couldn't even afford to pay my daughters wages this month.
I am commuting back to the original location to work and am stuck in a lease for 3500/month for the new location and I can't even run a business there. I also have to cover the rent at the original location, as my daughters family is moving out, and that is 1700/month. My rent for two locations 5200/month.
My sales this month was 7600, so after paying my overhead, I will be broke yet again.
In this heat I can't even stomach opening my back door or windows due to the stench, that I found out could be detrimental to my health. My daughter Ella, her partner and baby moved out two weeks ago to protect the baby from this chemical leak from the septic. Research shows it can be detrimental to our health, so the babys' health was most important.
I have filed a claim with the Rental Board to help me get out of the five year lease. My daughter has to find another place to live with her family as the business can no longer pay her a wage. I will be moving back as well. We had to cancel our 3 new clients at the new location. Cancel all the marketing and advertising we put out and that did not come cheap. Some we can't even cancel. My yellowpages ad is already in the book. :(
After all is said and done this landlord has managed to deplete my savings and max my credit card. We naturally lost a few clients with me moving away, as the dogs were just too much trouble for my daughter, and she does not have same experience or training that I have, and the dogs didn't like the change very much and missed me too, I think.
All in all the loss that we have suffered financially, not to mention emotionally, is a staggering 16000.00, with fence building, wall construction/front counter/ windows installed, wages, moving, advertising, license fees, rent, utilities and phone/internet, which is needed, and a lot of extra gas with all the driving back and forth.
Some suggested I sign up for 'Go fund me', and I'm not too comfortable asking for help, but this trouble has affected more people than just myself. My daughters family is young and recently married, with a child. They have taken a hit with moving twice and trying to adjust to the life of dogs. Now they have to pack and move again.
This fund would help three households move. Pay the girls some wages for their hard work and effort, and pay Ella's partner for helping build the fence. I would replenish some of my savings. I had to defer my car payment for the Jeep as I don't have the payment, and I'm only allowed to do that twice in a year, and with all that I lost on this venture I could have paid the Jeep off by now. The Jeep is all I have to show for all my hard work. I invest everything else back into the business and girls and grandchildren.
This fund would be such a help to restore the energy and joy we used to have working with these wonderful pets. My anxiety and stress is through the roof, and I have to fight the tears away daily. Pay the credit card down to save on the interest.
To measure my thankfulness would not be difficult, as I would smile from ear to ear and be so grateful for some help. When I started this business, I was and still am a single mom with two girls. I have no social life as work takes all my time. The only help I received was from my uncle and aunt, and they helped me with start up and a new vehicle. Deeply grateful for their help.
I took an entreprenours business course back in 2004, and wrote my business plan that I took to the bank. Before that I was working in admin for an architectual company. When I started the business, I worked nights delivering the paper, and worked 6am to 6pm daily, with my pack of dogs that came regularly throughout the week. All this to make it through the first 3 years of business. And I did it on my own as the girls were in school.
Outside help isn't something I'm used to and would welcome at this point in my life. So if anyone is kind enough to think I would be worthy of help and has the funds to do so, you would be my hero. You would be the girls hero and even the packs hero! I would forever be grateful and thankful, and I would pay it forward any chance I got.
Last newyears eve I had stopped at the liquor store for a bottle of bubbly, and as I was driving down towards home I saw a homeless woman with her shopping cart wearing a spring coat and looking very cold. Something told me to stop and help her. I took my down filled winter coat off my back and handed it to her. I wrapped her in it and said, 'you need this more than I do'. She had tears in her eyes and so did I. She asked me if I possibly had some gloves for her, and sadly I didn't, but she stuck her hands in the pockets and seemed happier. I didn't have cash or I would have given her some too. I hugged her, said happy new year and headed home. Crying, thinking of her all alone, I felt blessed to have a warm home and family to go to. It felt good to do something for someone, and yet it was so sad to see her like that, and I don't even know the woman.
I do undertand the joy of giving, and if one of you think we are worthy of help, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I will pay it forward.
Best regards,
Mimi Jacobson C.P.D.T
Doggy DooLil Daycare
& PackLeader Obedience
Surrey, BC