Welcome!

Hello friends! I would like to explain a bit about my blog. I am writing this as a part of an assignment for my journalism class, the assignment being to report on a neighborhood in Seattle. I was chosen to write about the U District...ergo View from the U! I hope that you will enjoy my findings.

For my first post, I'd like to highlight a unique business called "Jogs For Dogs", a dog running company that began in the U District and has spread its business throughout Seattle. Brendan Fahey, a UW grad, is the founder and main operator of the company that began in March 2007.

As the "first and only" dog running company in Seattle, Jogs For Dogs is unlike other dog walking and dog care services. According to their website, the business is committed to getting your pooch physically fit, with a workout plan tailored specifically to the fitness level of the dog.

"Jogs For Dogs is unique to Seattle because we are pretty much the only company that focuses directly on running dogs (not walking, or dog parks, etc), so we have very dedicated clients and employees," says Fahey.

The employees at Jogs For Dogs are all-around athletes, and either college students or graduates, mostly from the University of Washington. They are all dog lovers too, based on their profiles on the company's website.

Many of the people who come to Jogs For Dogs are busy professionals or Seattleites who are unable to give their dogs a workout themselves. With its sixteen runners, the business currently has a clientèle base of thirty customers.

The price for a fit pooch isn't cheap: $110 per week if you choose to have your dog run Monday-Friday. The cost per run goes up when you choose less days. Each run takes approximately 1 hour, with time allotted for warm up, cool down, and potty breaks.

The company admits to being a bit pricey, but claims the extra dough is worth it for the sake of your dog:

"We go the extra mile (literally, sometimes two or three) to give you and your dog the most professional, personalized, high quality service possible," the website reads.

So how did Fahey come up with the idea for the business? He claims to have stayed in shape and gotten his "dog fix" by running with his friends' dogs throughout high school and college, but never thought of it as a business opportunity.

"I graduated from UW in the summer of 2006 then went off for a while and traveled. When I got home I was convinced that I needed to get a "real" job and begin being a 'grown up'."

After a brief stint with real life he started to really think about what truly made him happy.

"One night I went to bed and started thinking about all the things I like (sailing, skiing, mountains, animals, running, dogs, etc.). Then I wrote a few of them down and started to combine them. Skiing and sailing...not so good. Dogs and running...how about Jogs For Dogs? And that is pretty much how it started."

Fahey claims that the business is in no way successful yet, and that there are new challenges every day.

"A month ago I tore my meniscus in my left knee so I'm out of commission for a while which is a bummer. But it's forced me to focus more on growing the business."

Speaking of growing, the company recently began a program where U Village shoppers can bring their dogs to run while they shop. More information is available on their website.

If you are interested in learning more about Jogs For Dogs, check out www.jogsfordogs.com or email Brendan at info@jogsfordogs.com.