Meet your Dog Walker!
Sunshine
Owner/Operator
K9 First Aid Certified
Hello Everyone! My name is Sunshine, and to say that dogs are my passion is an understatement. They are my life =P
I started Muddy Paws with the sole intent of raising the standard of dog walking services in the Okanagan. I began my journey in the pet industry like most do. Working as a part time dog walker, and becoming employed at a few different doggy day cares. It became clear very early on that working with dogs would become my future. So I started off on this journey with a focus on stewarding dogs towards their best life using Fear Free/Force Free and Positive Reinforcement techniques, while creating stimulating environments for dogs, that are engaging and enriching for their mind and body. I began to build this little grass roots company with a small run down car and a dream. And now we have a whole team Walkers dedicted to making this dream come true!.
It has been the adventure of a lifetime. And its all thanks to our amazing clients!
Jade
Dog Walker
K9 First Aid Certified
I'm Jade and I’m a lover of all animals, big and small. I truly feel my calling is to care for dogs and help them live their happiest lives. I honor that each dog has their own wonderful personality and unconditional love to give.
I discovered my passion for dog care quite young, operating my own pet sitting business and volunteering with the SPCA while in school. I dedicated the last few years of my career to managing doggie daycares, one-on-one dog walking as well as off-leash group hikes. I have experience with agility and obedience training and am passionate about positive reinforcement as well as fear/force free handling methods. Connecting with hundreds of dogs over the years, I've acquired an expansive knowledge on breeds and what makes them beautifully unique.
I am excited to be part of the Muddy Paws team and get to walking with the pups on amazing adventures out in nature!
Taylor
Dog Walker
K9 First Aid Certified
Hi there, my name is Taylor and my love and compassion for dogs knows no bounds!
I have a lifetime of experience with animals of all shapes, sizes and species, but dogs have always been my passion. I have been searching for an opportunity to work with them that not only benefits myself, but the dogs that I engage with.
Working with Muddy Paws as a dog walker gives me the opportunity to meet so many amazing pups, and bring them on stimulating and enriching adventures that give them the chance to socialize, and exercise. I always focus on fear free/force free behaviour management with all dogs, and try to have as much fun as these walks, as the dogs are. Because what's life without fun!
Our Story
Once upon a time, there was a girl and her dog.
Our journey starts right here in the heart of the Okanagan with a beautiful Australian Shepherd named Lady. Our little family had just moved to town, and we had an itch to make some dog friends! Howevver it didnt take long to reaize that at the time , our options for dog friendly parks were very limited. There wasnt really a place for dogs like Lady to stretch their legs and run, chase or really play. So i sat down on the face of Campbel Mountainw with her, and asked myself. What would Lady do?
Lady, being the extremely social and adventurous dog that she was, would have made as many friends as possible, and lead them all on some amazing hikes through the backwoods of the Okanagan to hidden trails where no one roamed on the weekdays when their humans were too busy working. So I did just that! The summer of 2022, I began to offer my services part time, bringing Lady with me as an ambassador for our little business. She was so happy to finally have some friends in town, and every dog that joined our small but growing pack, started to feel like family. That's when we met Benson (left), a Miniature American Shepherd with a lot of spunk, and even more love. He became Lady's best friend, and eventually her little brother. They would spend the entire 1hr hike chasing each other through the backwoods of the Okanagan.
They were living their best lives, and I was so happy to have had the opportunity to steward them towards a long healthy and happy life. Together they had inspired me to do everything I could to ensure that every dog I met got to have the same amazing experience, so we continued to build this company together. As the year moved on and the packs continue to grow, it became very clear that this service was in high demand. So I decided it was time to dedicate myself fully to the growth and expansion of what was becoming Muddy Paws. Unfortunately right around that time, Lady had passed on to the rainbow bridge. She had lived a life full of adventure, friends, treats, and so much more. And it was thanks to her that Muddy Paws grew to become what it was. And so I vowed to continue this business, and build it into something even greater! A dog walking service that was not only accessible, but dependable, safe, reliable, and trustworthy. I wanted to make sure that I contributed to raising the standard of dog walking services in the Okanagan, so the long jouney of becoming adequatly certified and educated had just begun.
Since then our little family pack has grown to include the handsomest boy Grimm (left). He takes his role as little brother very seriously, and Benson and Grimm are both ready to take on their new positions as company ambassadors. They've got some big paw prints to fill, but together, these two boys can take on the world!
With a whole lot of work, and a sprinkle of good timing, Muddy Paws has now expanded to include an amaing team of Dog Walkers that are excitted to help build this dream with us! It's thanks to these lovely individuals that we are now able to offer our services from Summerland all the way to Oliver! We are so excitted to be out here helping you steward your dogs towards their best lives!
Together we hope to continue expanding, and building this company into a Dog Walking Service that you can always depend on.
Join us on our next big adventure!