WINNIPEG -- A Winnipeg dog decided it was time for doggy daycare after it escaped from its backyard early Saturday morning.
It was business as usual for a staff member at Happy Tails Pet Resort & Spa when they saw a furry snout cross the gate at 6:30 a.m. But after a minute of waiting, to his surprise, the dog’s owners never showed up.
“They were looking in the parking lot and saying, ‘Where’s your parents?'” said Shawn Bennett, co-owner of the resort.
The employee opened the door and Gem, a five-year-old shepherd-cross, came barreling in, tail wagging.
Gem’s parents were then contacted since she is a frequent visitor to the resort.
After the call, it became clear that the dog escaped her fenced yard and walked five blocks to the facility.
“They said, ‘Seeing that she’s already there, she can just stay for the day,’” Bennett recounted.
According to Bennett, Gem’s parents were surprised she got out but weren’t surprised she came to the resort.
“She’s one of the many dogs that love coming here,” Bennett said. “I always call it Disneyland for dogs because they play with all their best buddies and it’s amazing to watch them.”
He said many dogs are coming to the resort less now that the pandemic has forced people to work from home.
“One of the things with COVID-19 that people have forgotten is about our pets, their lives have changed so much too,” said Bennett. “Dogs that are used to coming to us every day or 3-4 times a week are not coming because their parents are home.”
Bennett recommends trying to keep a routine schedule for your pets and to watch for separation anxiety when owners do go back to work.
