Pooches Playhouse: Beyond the Barks

When you walk into Pooches Playhouse, you’ll likely be greeted by a symphony of barks, awoos, yaps, and arfs from the many pups who are spending the morning, day, or week at the North Transcona dog daycare and cage-free boarding facility.

Co-owner Meaghan Bojarski had the idea for Pooches Playhouse 13 years ago when she adopted a Boxer puppy who was wreaking havoc on her house.

“He was destroying my house, so I dialed up a doggy daycare,” Meaghan said. “I brought him to one, and it was amazing. I brought him home tired, well-behaved, and non-destructive.”

Those familiar with dog training tend to say, “a tired dog is a good dog” and that couldn’t have been truer for Meaghan who was new to puppy life.

“I walked into [the dog daycare] and in looking around sort of thought to myself, ‘Oh, I could do this,’” Meaghan said. “So, one day I brought it up to my brother since he’s really good with dogs and just started putting a business plan together through [MWEC].”

Shortly after Meaghan and her brother, Korey, were approved for an MWEC loan, they secured the location on Concordia Avenue where Pooches Playhouse remains today.

“The rest is history,” Meaghan said. “We’ve been open for 11 years as of May 6 and have just kept rolling from there.”

When Pooches Playhouse first opened its doors, there were already several well-known dog daycare facilities operating in Winnipeg, but Meaghan knew she had a grasp on a special corner of the market. Not only is she exceptionally committed to cleanliness and the well-being of the animals, but the neighbourhood also is consistently growing with new families and dog owners moving into the area all the time.

“To be honest, [when we first opened] we really didn’t have money for advertising,” Meaghan said. “We didn’t have any contacts in the dog community, but we worked hard.”

Between Meaghan and Korey, they worked every single opening hour of Pooches for 36 months straight—including the overnight boarding shifts—until they could afford to hire their first employee. Today, they have four staff members, two of whom have been with them for over 7 years.

The road to opening Pooches Playhouse was neither quick nor easy, but for Meaghan, that process was well worth it for the business that exists now. With a background in finance, Meaghan was (and still is) incredibly determined. She did her research and connected with MWEC, who nurtured her idea and provided guidance, support, and financing to help get Pooches off the ground.

“I remember the difference between [MWEC] and a bank, that really sticks out,” Meaghan said. “The [MWEC] loan could be used for different things and the requirements were a little different. Like, I didn’t really have any assets—I didn’t own a house, I didn’t own a car, so we were really starting from nothing.”

Now, Meaghan can lean on her hard-working, dedicated staff and is able to reflect on those challenging early years and appreciate how far they’ve come.

“The highlight for me is really the people I meet,” said Meaghan. “Over 11 years, you see the same people all the time. You get to know people, get to know things about their lives.”

Some of the dogs who attend Pooches Playhouse have been there from the start, and Meaghan has even become friends with some of her clients—and their dogs—and often goes for group dog walks or out for drinks with them.

“Of course, you get to know the dogs that come all the time, too,” Meaghan said. “So, you kind of see them through their whole lifespan and that’s been so fun to see.”

If you’re looking for a dog daycare or dog boarding services in Winnipeg, check out Pooches Playhouse located at 1320 Concordia Avenue E and online at poochesplayhouse.ca!