34 APRI L 2 0 1 7 KAPOOCH Driven by therapy, philanthropy and a desire for community! A lifelong animal lover, Briana Scharborough came to her pet services business through 15 years of training, riding and caring for therapy horses. A detour through the corporate world led her to embrace her passion and experience with animal behavior and K9 rehabilitation and create Kapooch! The business offers training/ canine rehabilitation, pack walks and boarding. “My goal is to give back and bring people together, a kinder world where you actually know your neighbor,” she said. “I offer free pack walks on select weekends for my clients around Astoria Park. It is a calm, leisurely walk around the park, where the dogs get to socialize, and so do the humans! During the walk, I offer tips specific to the needs and issues of the dogs.” Scharborough and her team of five also know how important it is to give back to less fortunate pups: “We also invite different rescue organizations to join us on the pack walks to showcase some of their adoptable pups, as well as to get them socialization and training by myself, my team and my dog/lovely assistant, Dexter, who is also rehabilitated from a shelter,” Scharborough said. “Most of my clients have come by word of mouth and my events draw lots of people, so I definitely feel embraced and appreciated by the community.” In addition to Kapooch’s other services, Scharborough conducts free agility events in the park, and anyone can let their dog try out the different obstacles. She said that the community really enjoys these events. Five percent of all proceeds from Kapooch go to an organization called K9S For Warriors. They provide service canines, which were formerly rescue dogs, to servicemen and women who suffer from traumatic physical injuries and PTSD. SERVICES OFFERED Training/Canine Rehabilitation: Kapooch works with dog-to-dog aggression, dog-to-human aggression, fearfulness and anxiety. In addition to rehabilitation, Scharborough offers basic and agility training. “My training style is nonformulaic as each dog requires its own unique approach based on the energy of the canine and dog guardian,” she said. Dog Walks: The Kapooch walks consist of structured pack walks of various lengths, where a small group of pooches walk calmly on leads without pulling. “During the walks, my staff and I conduct leash training to help the dogs stay balanced and happy. Pack walks are healthy, safe and natural for dogs because dogs are pack animals and love being around their own kind,” she said. “Pet guardians receive daily updates of their dog’s walk.” Boarding: When boarding with Kapooch, all dogs are boarded at an experienced handler’s residence in a warm and loving environment and receive four walks a day with one hour of exercise at minimum. “No more than four dogs are boarded in any one location at a time; therefore your dog gets full attention and love while you are away,” she said. “Plus, we send a daily update and photo of your dog.” KAPOOCH.COM EMAIL: [email protected] FACEBOOK: KAPOOCHNY INSTAGRAM: @KAPOOCHNY Photos courtesy of Kapooch
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