Aly Dudzic first started working gigs as a pet sitter a few years ago, not knowing that, in just a short time, she’d have a client list of more than 50 dogs.
Dudzic owns the Happy Barker, a Greer-based business offering dog boarding, doggy day-care, drop-in home visits, feedings and walks. She says that she first got into the dog sitting business in 2022, signing up as a sitter on the platform Rover.
“It was cool to meet all the different dogs, and they all have different personalities. It became a thing and people started recommending me to other people around [my apartment] complex and the community,” Dudzic said. “So eventually I was like, ‘I'm going to make this an official thing.’”
Dudzic says she always grew up loving dogs. The logo for Happy Barker includes her own pup, Bentley, who passed away this past August. Dudzic got Bentley when she was 16, and had him for 11 years.
“It was incredibly hard. It's still actually very hard; that was my baby,” Dudzic said. “But I feel like it's going to be hard no matter what. So I was like, why would I stop giving the love I have to other dogs who need it just because I'm hurting?”
She added: “It didn't start with Bentley, and it's not gonna end with Bentley.”
The Happy Barker logo, inspired by Dudzic’s dog, Bentley
Currently, Happy Barker offers a variety of services, including home visits or overnight boarding. Dudzic boards the dogs in her home, while simultaneously working her second job, a remote position in marketing.
In the short few years Happy Barker has been open, Dudzic says it has attracted a large pool of regulars. Dudzic always does a meet and greet with each new client, and says that she enjoys getting to know each dog’s unique demeanor — like Grey, a husky with “one of the sassiest personalities.”
In the future, Dudzic hopes to have a separate space for her business outside of her home. She envisions a sort of dog hotel, with plenty of spaces for dogs to roam around. Until then, she just hopes to continue building her clientele and meeting new dogs to love.
“I'm always happy to meet dogs, and I'm always happy to care for them,” Dudzic said. “Whether it's a day, a night or three nights, I just genuinely have a lot of love, and my door is always open.”
To learn more about Happy Barker, visit their Facebook page.
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