Sara Matwychuk moved to Niverville six months ago and is gearing up to open a new dog daycare, Talk to the Tail, that will occupy the former town office at 86 Main Street.

Still in the works of being incorporated, Matwychuk says owning her own business is a dream of hers that combines her experience in management with her love of dogs.

“I have lot of business knowledge,” says Matwychuk, who worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car for five years and was promoted to management. “When you manage, you have to know a lot about doing everything from the ground up, payroll, customer service, human resources, and more. Then I worked in three different daycares, all very different, and for two years in a reputable and large daycare in Winnipeg that took in up to 80–90 dogs a day. They featured a dog behaviourist, specializing in dog mannerisms, dog play, dog science. I tried to work very closely alongside him as I was working there, learning as much as I could about dog behaviour.”

Dogs and their care became Matwychuk’s passion after taking on pet ownership for personal reasons. After rescuing a dog in 2017, she began to realize that her particular pet required a lot more intentional understanding and work than anticipated. Duke, a three-and-a-half-year-old Shepherd-cross, had both health and behaviour issues.

“Duke came in quite sick and his fosters had done a great job of healing him up to great health,” says Matwychuk. “But he was wild. He was a lot more dog than I expected when I set out to adopt a dog. He became a handful and I needed to learn a lot about dog behaviour to keep him happy and healthy and it became my passion. I woke up each day thinking about what I could do to help Duke and help him integrate with his friends. I took him to the daycare I was working at and it really helped. I am passionate about how to work with dogs, I am open-minded, and learn about the unique ways to keep dogs as happy and healthy as I possibly can, with the safety of everyone around them in mind.”

In their home, Matwychuk and her partner also have an 11-year-old Boston terrier named Dante who is old and quiet. They call him the “cat” of the family.

It’s been a crazy few months, according to Matwychuk, as she is working with the building’s owner to renovate the space to accommodate up to 50 dogs. Significant renovations are required to bring the former office building up to industry standards for animals.

The new business has also faced some scrutiny over noise, smell, and parking concerns. After a April 24 conditional use hearing where Matwychuk and her prospective business neighbours were present, Niverville town council pointed out that animal-based businesses are restricted in Niverville’s core downtown area.

After a diligent hearing, the business was approved, with council setting conditions that prohibit dogs from being outside between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., a minimum fence height of seven feet, and the possibility of covering the outside exercise area with a roof. Parking will be intended on Main Street only, but Matwhyck says she has verbal agreement from adjacent businesses who will allow some additional parking in their side lots if needed.

“We have begun renovations to accommodate a custom dog daycare to the specifications I believe will be the most efficient and great for the dogs,” says Matwychuk. “We are taking into consideration employee safety as well as dog safety. Cleanliness is top of mind and also separating groups into dog ages and behaviours, temperaments and needs.”

There will be a large outdoor space, fully fenced in, with lots of room for dogs to move around.

“We are super excited about this outdoor area,” she adds. “Dogs are like kids, so if they have a change of scenery, that’s how they’re happy. Having that change of space and hang out with their friends, that’s how they keep healthy. It’s not good for them to sit inside all day.”

Matwychuk acknowledges that there are existing pet services in town, such as a pet store and grooming, but that her business has room to grow in other ways.

“Should things evolve, we do have the space to expand. I am looking into what other services we could provide, such as overnight stays. Grooming and dog-walking would be in the future.”

Matwychuk plans to finish renovations in August and open in September 2020. Before then, Talk to the Tail will be looking for employees and volunteers.

“There will be some paid and some volunteer opportunities,” she says. “We will be looking for a general manager, kind of like a team lead, and a receptionist who will be responsible for the front end, greeting clients, and bringing in and out the dogs. We could also use a dog daycare attendant. Volunteer opportunities will exist for doing the fun stuff, like feeding and walking.”