We've been Featured in Block Club Chicago!
Chicago Urban Pets, which works in the Downtown area, got a Paycheck Protection Program loan, as well. But owner Stephanie Fumanelli — who is also a professor at the School of the Art Institute — said financial loss was only one of the problems brought on by the pandemic.
Juggling mom duties for her toddler, teaching virtual classes and balancing employee safety with a sharp drop in business, the Lakeview resident decided to... Read More Here
Juggling mom duties for her toddler, teaching virtual classes and balancing employee safety with a sharp drop in business, the Lakeview resident decided to... Read More Here
We Are Truly Honored to Be Featured in the Voyage Chicago
Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Hjelte Fumanelli.
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started Chicago Urban Pets 9 months after graduating with a Bachelors in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. I knew I didn’t want to work an 8am-5pm job and I definitely enjoyed a lifestyle where I could be my own boss. Architecture & Design is a big part of my life and together with my design partner we started to enter architecture & design competitions.
Once some of my life’s puzzle pieces post-graduation started coming together, I realized that I missed interacting with animals. I had always had pets in my life; dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, birds and even horses. This prompted me to seek out pet sitting jobs which resulted in me founding Chicago Urban Pets in March 2014.
For about 4 months I only had one client, the sweetest lab/vizsla mix named Maddie. She has now moved to the suburbs with her parent Michael. In many ways, Maddie was the mascot for Chicago Urban Pets in its early days and I am really thankful that Michael decided to use our services despite being so young.
The Story of Chicago Urban Pets is one of friendships, mainly with the..... Read More Here
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started Chicago Urban Pets 9 months after graduating with a Bachelors in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. I knew I didn’t want to work an 8am-5pm job and I definitely enjoyed a lifestyle where I could be my own boss. Architecture & Design is a big part of my life and together with my design partner we started to enter architecture & design competitions.
Once some of my life’s puzzle pieces post-graduation started coming together, I realized that I missed interacting with animals. I had always had pets in my life; dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, birds and even horses. This prompted me to seek out pet sitting jobs which resulted in me founding Chicago Urban Pets in March 2014.
For about 4 months I only had one client, the sweetest lab/vizsla mix named Maddie. She has now moved to the suburbs with her parent Michael. In many ways, Maddie was the mascot for Chicago Urban Pets in its early days and I am really thankful that Michael decided to use our services despite being so young.
The Story of Chicago Urban Pets is one of friendships, mainly with the..... Read More Here
Did you know we were in the Local News?!
(CBS) -- In the wake of a viral video showing a professional dog-walker abusing a Chicago pet, CBS 2 asks: What qualifications are necessary to set up one of the businesses?
CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov reports.
Stephanie Fumanelli is walking and training – not dogs, but a potential dog-walker for her business, Chicago Urban Pets.
It’s part of her screening process for her licensed, bonded and insured business. It’s just one business in the otherwise exploding dog-walking industry.
“It’s boomed so quickly, I think a lot of people are trying to get away with making a lot of money,” Fumanelli says.
The social media outrage over of a surveillance video of a dog-walker kicking a puppy in his care raises questions about what requirements are needed to open such a business. The answer: not many.
Jennifer Hayes, general manager of Green Paws Chicago, says dog walkers can get a city business license, but beyond that, nothing else is required. Her advice to people looking to hire a service is this: “Do your research. Get on the internet, get on Yelp, ask your friends.”
Specifically, check to see if a service is licensed and insured. Ask about the business’s training and interview procedures. And find out if they do employee background checks.
Fumanelli and Hayes say it’s also important to ask how a business trains its walkers.
CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov reports.
Stephanie Fumanelli is walking and training – not dogs, but a potential dog-walker for her business, Chicago Urban Pets.
It’s part of her screening process for her licensed, bonded and insured business. It’s just one business in the otherwise exploding dog-walking industry.
“It’s boomed so quickly, I think a lot of people are trying to get away with making a lot of money,” Fumanelli says.
The social media outrage over of a surveillance video of a dog-walker kicking a puppy in his care raises questions about what requirements are needed to open such a business. The answer: not many.
Jennifer Hayes, general manager of Green Paws Chicago, says dog walkers can get a city business license, but beyond that, nothing else is required. Her advice to people looking to hire a service is this: “Do your research. Get on the internet, get on Yelp, ask your friends.”
Specifically, check to see if a service is licensed and insured. Ask about the business’s training and interview procedures. And find out if they do employee background checks.
Fumanelli and Hayes say it’s also important to ask how a business trains its walkers.
