Today, we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Calabria.
Hi Vanessa, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Even as a small child, animals were my life. I have owned or cared for so many animals in my life – they are a true passion of mine. Who else has seven dogs, four cats, a hedgehog, a cockatiel and well…I’ll just stop there.
After graduating from St Edward’s in Austin, Texas, just after 911, jobs were super limited. It was a real bummer as I knew finding a job working with animals while having an English and Arts degree would be difficult. I went back to waiting tables for a while, and then finally, I landed a job at Sea World of Texas in San Antonio (back when it was cool). The show I worked for was called Pet Tales. It showcased the lives of rescue dogs, cats, pigs, skunks, and more, while showing their different abilities and doing tricks for audiences. The show strongly advocated the idea that adopted animals were capable of amazing things. We did about 4 to 5 shows a day, depending on the season, but I was missing home. When that show closed, I came back to Austin.
I answered an ad on Craigslist for a kennel tech at Barking Hound Village off Barton Springs and Lamar. Barking Hound Village, or BHV, was a luxury boarding and daycare facility for dogs, and I was introduced to a whole new setting and industry in pet care. At that time, dog boarding facilities were just becoming big, but no one was doing what we were doing.
BHV’s standard is all about the dog. We want them to be the most comfortable and posh dogs while in our care while also providing a fun atmosphere. Instead of crates, we hand-build all of our suites for the dog’s comfort. They are spacious, and we strive to give the dogs a lower-stress environment while their owners are away. The 65-inch TVs are just a bonus! At this point, I was all in. Can you tell?
After about a year of being a kennel tech, I became manager of BHV. I was the manager for 17 years, growing the business with the owners at the time, Lisa and Jeremy Jones. When Covid hit, the staff and I were laid off, and all of us were questioning our futures. Lisa and Jeremy sold me the downtown location of BHV Austin, and the rest is history.
I was allowed to grow the business in a different way than it had grown before. I had so much time during COVID-19 that I designed a new logo (based on my dog ZuZu) and put my own creative spin on BHV while still maintaining that luxury feel. This journey has now led us to open a second location on North Burnet that opened in March 2024. That location is called BHV Austin TOO.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This road has been long. I don’t think I was ever sure it was what I really wanted or if it was even an opportunity that I would ever even be able to consider. When Covid happened, things changed, people changed, needs changed, perspectives changed, and I changed too.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a business that specializes in luxury boarding and daycare for dogs. I am very hands-on and have a great team of amazing dog lovers who have been able to grow with us as the business has grown. I am most proud of being able to provide a safe workplace for the diverse group of people who work with me while providing a fun and distinctive boarding experience for dogs and dog lovers.
What does success mean to you?
I think that success is defined by constantly being able to grow and learn with the people who work with you and who you meet along the way in both your career and personal life. One of the greatest experiences I have had in my life is being able to meet and connect with so many people and their dogs. A lot of the relationships I have had with dog owners are truly some of the longest relationships I have had in my life. We have been through the highs and lows of dog ownership together. It has been quite the journey.
Pricing:
- Boarding for overnight is 60 a night
- Daycare is 40 dollars a day per dog
- We also have daycare packages and discounts for multi-family dogs when they board
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bhvaustin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhvaustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bhvtoo/
Image Credits
Sarah Weeks Photography
