Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Odell.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jack. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved to Miami in 2010 to attend graduate school at Florida International University. After graduating early with a JD/MBA in December 2013, I worked for one year in a corporate sales job. One day after work, I decided to visit the Miami-Dade Animal Services shelter with my best friend Kevin. I fell in love with the first dog I met. Her name was Lana and she was an anxious 8-month-old pitbull/whippet mix. She was in the shelter for the second time and was at risk of being euthanized because she was diagnosed with the parvo virus. I rescued Lana and ended up changing her name to Zoe. The rest is history.
Every day I would look forward to running with Zoe up and down the beach after work. During business trips, I would be thinking about Zoe the whole time. Other dog owners began asking if I could run with their dogs, too. One year after rescuing Zoe, I decided to quit my job and start Miami Dog Runners on March 1, 2015. Zoe and I would wake up early every morning and run to pick up the first dog of the day, Paloma. Soon our days were full of dogs from sun up to sun down and we began recruiting a team of dog runners.
In April 2016, we moved our home base to a bigger location, a house with a huge backyard in the Buena Vista neighborhood near the Design District. We installed a few thousand dollars worth of artificial turf and turned the backyard into a high-quality private dog park. We began offering Day Camp and Boarding services, complete with transportation and Miami’s best pack adventures to parks and beaches. We have an amazing team of pack leaders and we are open 365 days a year. Now, we are looking forward to a busy holiday season and can’t wait to celebrate Miami Dog Runners’ third anniversary in March.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like Richard Branson said, “business is an adventure in problem-solving.” We are really fortunate that our “job” is to love dogs and give them an amazing time. With that being said, we still have to learn on a daily basis as we grow. Overall, we’ve enjoyed an awesome ride that keeps getting better. Behind the scenes, the secret to keeping everything running smoothly is to pay close, constant attention to the details.
Details keep the pack safe and make the difference between Miami Dog Runners and any given “dog daycare,” “dog hotel,” or “dog walker.” We want to stand out from other services by offering a consistent, professional and safe service (in addition to having the most fun). Nothing is more rewarding than seeing our dogs build long-term pack friendships because their owners keep choosing Miami Dog Runners.
Please tell us about Miami Dog Runners.
Miami Dog Runners is known for offering the most adventurous, full-service Day Camp in Miami. We pick up dogs in the morning between 8 am and 9 am in our two SUVs. Then we head to our “dog house” in Buena Vista with our very own 5,000 square foot dog yard. The dog yard has artificial turf which allows the dogs to stay safe and clean while playing in rain or shine. The yard is safely enclosed with a 6-foot wooden wall. The dogs start the day with a “morning social,” playing and releasing excess energy while getting to know each other.
During the day, we go on “pack adventures” to various neighborhoods, parks, and beaches around Miami. When the dogs need to rest, the entire house is dedicated to them. Most of the dogs eat with us around 4 pm. We drop the day campers off at their homes between 5 pm and 6 pm. Owners always tell us that they love seeing their dogs so tired and happy after we drop them off.
I am proud of how our pack has grown into such a big happy family. Our customers are dedicated to giving their dogs a fun, social and fulfilling life.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from my childhood was getting lost for hours at a time while going on adventures with my Black Labrador, Kate. Kate was stronger than me and used to drag me all over our neighborhood. She was my best friend and we always had fun together.
Pricing:
- Day Camp $50
- Boarding $60
Contact Info:
- Address: 1521 Alton Road #251
Miami Beach, FL 33139 - Website: https://www.miamidogrunners.com
- Phone: 305-804-1604
- Email: miamidogrunners@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miamidogrunners/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miamidogrunners/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiamiDogRunners
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/miami-dog-runners-miami-beach-2
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