Danielle Judge with her dog Kowe, a Brussels Griffon mix.
was a student at the University of Minnesota. She spent her last semester interning at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, working in the Primate Center with orang- utans, gorillas, emperor tamrins, lemurs, spider and saki monkeys. By 2011, Danielle graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, pre-veterinary medicine. Soon after graduating, she became the veterinary outreach coordinator for BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Minneapolis as a veterinary assistant and client care coordinator. A year later, Danielle was offered the position as the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for BluePearl’s Minnesota region. BluePearl is also where Danielle met her future husband James, who at the time, was the company’s media relations director. After moving to Land O’ Lakes with James in 2013,
Danielle worked in various animal-related jobs, including at FishHawk Veterinary Center and the Hillsborough Animal Foundation (HAF). While at HAF, she helped open the much-needed nonprofit veterinary hospital, Vets 4 Pets Charitable Clinic, located in east Tampa. In between all of this, the ever-industrious dog lover hung her shingle out with Rowdy’s on the Run, a licensed and insured pet-sitting service in Wesley Chapel, named after Danielle’s Boxer, Rowdy. She created it only as a tempo- rary gig while she set her sites on opening her own boarding and daycare facility. “We were so busy, I ended up having to hire two employees,” said Danielle. Through her work with Vets 4 Pets Charitable Clinic,
Working on a Dream.
by Anna Cooke
“When I grow up I want to be...” You can fill in the blank. We’ve all said those words as children. Kids who love dogs often dream about working with dogs – perhaps as a veterinarian. Often overheard in adult conversations: “When I win the lot- tery, I’m going to buy some property and start an animal sanctuary and adopt as many shelter dogs as possible.”
For Danielle Judge, who grew up surrounded by animals,
her dream became a reality not by dreaming, but through focus, determination and a lot of hard work. Her mom instilled a sense of purpose in her young daughter, when the two of them began volunteering at a domestic violence shelter in Egan, Minnesota. “We would bring Paige, our Golden Retriever therapy dog,” said Danielle. Eventually, that led to a job at the owner-surrender desk of a pet shelter, where Danielle first began gaining experience with evaluating a dog’s behavior, and counseling families surrendering their pets. By the time she was 21, Danielle was working for Dog Day Getaway, a boarding and daycare facility in Minnesota, while she
52 THE NEW BARKER
Danielle met Dr. Anna Bannon. “A couple of months into developing the pet resort, Anna approached me about
partnering. We met at my home for wine and tacos one night, and that’s how the idea of Rowdy’s Pet Resort and Family Animal Hospital was born,” said Danielle. Two years later, in May 2018, Danielle’s dream finally came
true, when she opened Rowdy’s Pet Resort in Apollo Beach. What’s unique about the facility is that it was designed to be connected to the veterinary clinic, Family Animal Hospital. The work flow between the two businesses is smooth, efficient, organized and intimate. Of course, the safety and well-being of the dogs are the top
priorities. The boarding and daycare facility offers private suites for small and large breeds. If requested, a family’s multiple dogs can share a room. The enclosed suites have raised beds and plush blankets. Your pet’s overnight amenities will mirror that of a five star resort. Upgrades like peanut butter KONGS, ice cream dessert and a go-home bath are available. Stand in the center of the main room and all of the suites
and their occupants are visible. There are both indoor and outdoor open play areas, where the dogs are closely monitored by staff. The maximum number of dogs Rowdy’s Pet Resort will accommodate is up to 40, making the staff-to-dog ratio much more safely manageable. All of this was by design based on Danielle’s years of experience in her young life. Having access to veterinary care right next door has its obvious benefits.
www.TheNewBarker.com
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