Community Highlights: Meet Mariette Herold of Furry Tail Shack

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariette Herold.

Mariette, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story began in South Africa growing up on a farm near the Magaliesburg mountains. I believe we all carry something with us through life – “baggage”, loss, sadness, longing, regrets, whatever it may be, it is true for me too. Growing up my family life was complicated. I always felt lonely and a little sad. Don’t get me wrong, there were many good times, good people, plenty of blessings, but there were definitely hard times, sadness and loneliness. I was lucky though, there was always a dog or dogs in my life. Growing up they were my best friends, always there to keep me company, the ones I confided in, they made me feel loved.

I was 5 years old when my first dog came into my life, a little stray the workers found running around on the farm. It was love at first sight, and we were inseparable. Two years later another stray walked into my life, a black Lab. Life on a farm in Africa was treacherous for dogs, tick fever, poisonous snakes, etc. so I learned to say goodbye at a very young age. Throughout the years there were many more dogs who helped me through the tough times, who I celebrated with in the good times, and who gave me the unconditional love I longed for. I dreamed of having a career working with dogs but ended up working and living overseas for many years. Later, I settled down in Cleveland, Ohio with my husband and 2 sons. I was a stay-at-home mom for years while my boys were in school.

When my youngest son was in middle school I started a dog walking and pet-sitting business. Furry Tail Shack quickly grew into a full-time business. Still, I dreamed of having my own facility, one where I could have an enrichment doggy day camp, hydrotherapy for dogs and a Pup~Cafe & Patio with a cafe window to sell treats, ice cream, etc. to pups. In January 2022, I finally fulfilled my dream! I opened my facility, Furry Tail Shack – The Happy Place, with an enrichment doggy day camp, hydrotherapy, and a Pup~Cafe & Patio!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to having a brick-and-mortar facility was bumpy, to say the least. It started of course with saving enough money to be able to afford to buy or rent a space, renovations, equipment, pay the rent and utilities for at least 6 months, etc.

Finding the right space that was affordable, with enough room for everything, a space zoned for both doggy day camp and boarding, close to, or in an area with lots of “dog” traffic, etc. was difficult and I had to settle for having a doggy day camp only, no boarding because of such strict zoning laws in the area I wanted to be in.

Once I found the right space it took months to remodel, pass inspections, move in, build up our doggy day camp to capacity, promote our hydrotherapy and the Pup~Cafe. It honestly required working 6-7 days a week, 12+ hours a day for months until we were on our feet.

We’ve been impressed with Furry Tail Shack, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At our enrichment doggy day camp pups do more than just play and socialize. We teach them agility, treibball, frisbee, we play brain games with them, they have snacktime with snuffle mats, we teach them their common commands, we celebrate their birthdays with birthday parties, we do special projects for the Holidays and so much more! We also have a Pup Art Academy where the pups create art projects at camp – this is a unique and very special service and one of the things our pups and their parents absolutely love about our doggy day camp. From painting (licking peanut butter) canvases to creating their own paw print greeting cards, making special art projects for the holidays, and much more, our little pup-artists are amazing!

People always ask me why? Why dogs? Why a facility for dogs? I can’t imagine my life without dogs. They’ve always been there for me. They’ve given me so much throughout my life. Now, it’s my turn to give back to them with a facility they can come to every day to play, have fun, learn, be loved. I just want to give back to as many dogs as I can, for everything they’ve given me all my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.furrytailshack.com
• Instagram: @furrytailshack_thehappyplace
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/furrytailshack