This article is sponsored by Tails On Trails LLC – a popular Jersey City pet care service, that combines technology and service to provide security and fun for both furry friends and their owners.
Tails On Trails LLC, the popular Jersey City pet care service, offers more than tender love and care for the many cats and dogs (and plants if you’d like, too) of Downtown. It’s a high-functioning enterprise both technologically and personally, providing security and fun for both furry friends and their owners.
Founded in 2012 by Judy Nunez, Tails On Trails LLC had just launched when Hurricane Sandy hit. “Sandy was actually the catalyst to jump and throw myself into this, and it has been a wild ride,” said the animated Nunez. “To see businesses and restaurants close and be damaged, was terrifying.” Many of her customers lost their homes. “I felt clearly that this company had to be about focusing on families.” Around the same time, Nunez also found out she was expecting a non-furry creature. “Any fear I had was giving way to love.”
Fast-forward four years post-Sandy, and Tails On Trails LLC is thriving in a growing Jersey City with leadership by Nunez, and operations manager Jocelyn Hawkes, (“the other side of my brain,”) as well as an assistant manager and seven walkers, which will expand with peak season. Customer service and personalization are at the forefront of their mission. “We realize every pet requires different things. We try to socialize them if needed, or match them with a buddy. We know our dogs and cats.”
Nunez, who grew up with chickens and dogs, has a passion for pets that goes above and beyond adoration. The channeled intensity and caring energy she emits is evident in her business approach, though she casually credits this to her background in theatrical stage management. She also worked in corporate publishing, but throughout different jobs found it all came back to pets.
At Tails On Trails LLC—while playtime, brushing and attention are central to the dog-walker/dog experience—there is even more to love in the details: personalized dog walking includes 30-minute GPS tracked walks using PetCheck software accessible via a mobile app, where owners can receive real-time notifications upon walker arrivals and departures. They can also receive photos instantly and view a map of walks. Cat-sitting includes 30-minute visits to maintain a cat’s routine, litter scooping and changing, live photos, updates and feeding.
PetCheck is just one of the ways Tails On Trails LLC prides itself in anticipating client needs, which, in this day and age, often hinges on high interaction. Nunez has seen how central a role pets play in the quality of life for her clients: “Dog owners here really treat their pets as family members. For a lot of people, pets are our fur babies,” she grinned.
The interactive market is also why Tails On Trails LLC features the Canine Concierge Club—a “doggy social” that provides dogs with canine companionship through socialization and exercise. Nunez knows that apartment life and limited involvement can affect pets acutely (cue the recent episode of HBO’s High Maintenance, shot from the complete perspective of a city dog—and worth watching for that alone).
Working with various building management teams, the Canine Concierge hosts occasional events for owners and dogs (cats are welcome, too). It’s a case where pet bonding leads to tenant bonding. “It is a great way to connect,” Nunez said. “We have some dogs that come from the country, and notice noise and smells immediately, and we introduce them to city life. Pets thrive with consistency.”
For clients who have just moved into the expanding neighborhood, Nunez notes that often the first thing they get in order is their pet care. “So many new people are moving here, and pets can feel stress, so we focus on getting settled and keeping it smooth.”
To be a walker for Tails On Trails LLC is no small duty. Walkers all have pets themselves and are experienced professionals. Nunez is firm that hiring is a long process. “Our walkers need as much respect as our clients. They have all volunteered or have experience as vet techs.”
Active in the community as an official sponsor of All About Downtown, Tails On Trails LLC has procured many clients through its association with local pet rescues like See Spot Rescued and Liberty Humane Society. “I want to feel attached to what is happening here,” said Nunez, noting that at this year’s festival, Tails On Trails LLC teamed up with 18 other local businesses for a raffle basket, when she had only expected to work with three or four.
“It is so nice to be connected, keep it local, and help each other out.”
For that, perhaps, we can thank the animals.
To learn more about Tails On Trails LLC visit their website: TailsOnTrails.com, or connect with them on Facebook and Instagram
