About Airdrie Puppy Pals
What began as a small online community has blossomed into a 13,000 square foot dog care center right here in the heart of Airdrie, Alberta. Today, Airdrie Puppy Pals is a trusted place where Puppy Pals and their people always feel at home.
Connecting Our Airdrie Community
Hi, I’m Nikki! I’m the proud owner of Airdrie Puppy Pals. Back in 2014, my husband Ray and I would head to the dog park with our Rosa and Ryder, and we always seemed to miss the memo. As soon as we arrived, everyone would be leaving. When we were ready to go, a whole new group of potential friends for Rosa and Ryder would just be arriving.
One day, on a car ride home from work, I shared an idea with Ray: what if we created an online community to connect local dog owners? There had to be other people like us who wanted to meet up and let their social Puppy Pals play. Just like that, the Airdrie Puppy Pals Facebook group was born, and we started organizing community meetups for like-minded Puppy Pal parents.
Listening to Our Community
Fast forward a few months and lots of amazing conversations, and some challenging stories too. We’d hear things like, “I hired a dog walker and they were only there for a few minutes but charged me for an hour,” or, “The kennel I used left food out and kept my dog alone in a run for a week.”
It just didn’t sit right with me, and I wanted to help make a difference. I kept thinking, what would I do if I needed support for Rosa and Ryder? So, I decided to take the leap: I left my day job in Oil & Gas Human Resources downtown and started walking Puppy Pals and going to the off-leash park, thanks to a little ad I posted on VarageSale.
With Our APP Family’s Love and Support
With the incredible support of our APP family, we kept growing. I wanted to keep helping, especially by creating a safe, comfortable place for Puppy Pals to sleep over. With Ray’s encouragement, we began the journey to open our first brick and mortar location—a 2,000 square foot building in Kings Heights in 2015. Following our founding values of proactive safety, family care, and strong community focus, we now operate in a 13,000 square foot facility where we offer Puppy Pal daycare, overnight boarding, group training classes, and behaviour consulting.
Continued Education
This October marks the 10-year anniversary of Airdrie Puppy Pals. Over the years, we’ve built an incredible team and I’m proud to have exceeded my own educational goals in Puppy Pal training and behaviour. I’ve earned five internationally recognized, third-party certifications in training and behaviour, including Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant (CBCC-KA) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). I am also a Fear Free Certified Professional and have completed extensive coursework in animal learning and behaviour. My commitment to ongoing education ensures the highest standard of care and training for every Puppy Pal in our facility. The Puppy Pals in our care are happy and thriving, and I’m so grateful for the love and support of our community.
And We’re Just Getting Started!
We’re always learning, growing, and listening so we can keep showing up for our Puppy Pals and their people in new and meaningful ways. Whether it’s expanding our services, supporting more families, or helping every Puppy Pal feel safe and understood, we’re here for the long run. Because when you’re part of the Airdrie Puppy Pals family, you’re never in it alone.