Lake Forest Business Pup Up Hooray Needs Your Support

The new coronavirus has changed life for all of us. Local businesses have taken a huge economic hit, but communities are finding creative ways to support the establishments they know and love.

In an effort to help local businesses in our communities stay connected and succeed, Patch will shine a light on some of them through a series of Q&A articles during this time.

Pup Up Hooray is one of the businesses in town facing struggles during the coronavirus. You can lend your support by reading more about the company, below, and by contacting them here.

Tell us about your business and its history in your town.

Pup Up Hooray is a dog boarding, daycare and training facility in Lake Forest. We are approaching the anniversary of our first year of operation, and it has been a wonderful experience! We have a beautiful, new and large facility that is capable of safely serving the local community during this COVID-19 crisis and have not stopped doing so.

We have been working hard to help families get some relief from pressures of staying home in the midst of bad news and uncertainties. Many people are balancing the stress of an unknown future, while being furloughed or working from home, and schooling their children at home. On top of all that, they have pups barking to go on a walk, acting disruptively due to lack of exercise or just plain depressed. Many dog owners with puppies, active breeds or without large yards that require essential exercise and socialization per day face a challenge in these times of social distancing.

We are able to provide a safe environment that can meet the individual needs of many different pups. We are able to put together smaller play groups allowing us to match up appropriate play styles, manners, age and size, so as to provide the best experience for every pup. We can also feed and administer medication to our furry guests at no additional fee. We can tailor individual needs and special requests, and are usually easily accommodated. All dogs who come into the facility must be up-to-date on vaccinations, have an appropriate temperament and must be human-friendly.

How has the new coronavirus impacted your business and its employee?

This time of year is usually one of our busiest with all the spring season travel. We were ramping up our operations with new staff, activities and events. Our clients pre-book way in advance to reserve boarding. In early February, we started to see cancellations for boarding and many unexpected refunds. We anticipate that this will continue into our summer season and possibly the rest of the year.

We then lost most of our daycare visits with the stay-at-home order. While we are considered an “essential service,” we continue to observe the federal and state prevention and social distancing guidelines, so we currently provide curbside or shuttle services only. Although our facility will remain closed to all outside human visitors until further notice, we have high-definition cameras with zoom capabilities that provide pet owners the ability to check in on their pup(s) while here.

How can local customers support you now and in the future?

As a new business in Lake Forest, many residents still don't even realize that we are here, so customers can "support your local business" by telling a neighbor, trying our service and participate in leaving reviews on Yelp and Google. We want to help out in the only way we can. In addition to being here for our community 365 days a year and remaining open during this pandemic to provide daycare and boarding services, we are also able to provide transportation and bathing services. When things return to normal, we will reopen our training center and programs.

Do you have any words of encouragement for your community?

We are all in this together and we will get through this together. If you or someone you know has contracted COVID-19 and needs assistance or is unable to provide care for their dog, we would like to be there for you by offering you our assistance. Please contact us directly for more information.

Are you offering any special services, promotions or hours during this time?

Free Daycare and Boarding For COVID-19 Workers: In the spirit of deep gratitude for the hard work and dedication of first responders, healthcare workers, doctors, nurses and grocery store workers, we are providing FREE daycare and boarding services (depending on their particular needs).

Reduced Rates: We are here to help the community and have reduced our rates, including transportation and bathing. We are open with reduced hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. During this time, we do require some notice so we can plan accordingly, though we can usually accommodate same day requests. Clients can register at our portal on our website or call 949-680-3800.

Do you own a local business in need of a feature on Patch? Fill out the questions in this form for consideration. Or, check out Patch's full list of resources for small businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

Thank you, and stay safe!