Melonie started Wanderpups in 2013 as a side hustle.  Like many of us, sitting in an office staring at a computer all day was crushing her soul.  Walking dogs was the opposite of cube life so she got a business license, ordered some business cards and built a website.  Within a few weeks she had her first client. Within a year, she had a full client list and hired her first dog walker.  Wanderpups has continued to grow since then, and has been recognized by the City Paper and the Washingtonian year after year for excellence in pet care.

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Melonie has a military background and brings organizational, communication and leadership skills she learned as a logistics officer to the company.  Wanderpups is built on transparency, accountability, integrity and compassion. She believes if you approach everything with these four pillars in mind, you can't go wrong.

 

After starting the business, she became very curious and wanted to know everything about dogs.  She used her GI Bill to pursue a masters in canine science and to become a certified dog trainer.  After apprenticing, she realized training was not her passion, but she loves owning a business and using her platform to educate people about dogs and how to live their best lives together.