Photo supplied.
Pictured is Riley Friesen in front of her “Doggy Bus” with some of its passengers.
You may have seen a colourful bus travelling local residential streets with unusual passengers.
Playfully called the Doggy bus, this converted school bus provides transportation for local pets travelling to a family farm in Fraserville where they enjoy leash-free walks under the supervision of Riley Friesen in her business called Millbrook Pet Care.
Riley Friesen came to Peterborough from her home in Nova Scotia in 2018 to study at Trent University. An animal lover, she took on part time work as a pet care provider with a Peterborough firm. While her family had never owned a dog, she soon developed a love for dogs of all breeds and sizes, as well as an appreciation for their energy, affection and playfulness. When she moved to her finance’s 200 acre family farm near Fraserville, she took the opportunity to go out on her own and launched her pet care business in November 2023.
The most popular service at the firm is group dog walks she calls Pack walks. To make it convenient for pet owners, she began by picking up the dogs in her car to bring them to and from the farm where they run off leash. Business was good- so good that her car could no longer accommodate all of her charges, so she found alternative transportation in the form of a bus. By law, buses not providing school transportation cannot be yellow, so the seller of the vehicle asked Riley what colour she would prefer. She asked that it be painted in the shades of a rainbow.
There are often as many as eight dogs in the bus at a time, and all of them are tethered into a seat during their journey. Some prefer to sit on their own, but others love to cuddle with a friend. In addition to the driver, there is always another adult on the bus to control any rambunctious behaviour. There is less risk of that happening on the return trip after the dogs have raced around with their pals on the farm.
For the shyer animal who prefers individual attention, Riley provides solo walks from the pet’s home lasting from 30 minutes to an hour. She also provides drop-in appointments to visit and feed pets, including overnight care. This service includes walks, play and cuddles and allows pets to remain in the comfort of their homes while their owners are away. In all services, Riley provides updates and photos and videos to the clients’ phones so they see what their pets are up to and how much fun they are having.
Sometimes things go wrong, but Riley has completed a Pets First Aid and CPR certification through St. John’s Ambulance and is confident in her ability to address a pet emergency. So far there has been only one instance where she had to rely on her insurance to offset veterinary costs stemming from an unfortunate encounter with a porcupine.
The business has an enthusiastic clientele as evidenced by glowing testimonials and its growing customer base. Riley is enjoying her business success but remains committed to her environmental training, a passion she shares with her fiancé Max who also has an environmental science degree. Together they are finding ways to incorporate their skills and passion in the evolution of their farm management practises as they look to the future of their family farm. KG