COVID-19 Response
Hello Cruisin’ Canines clients, friends, and family, In light of the current situation with the Coronavirus/COVID-19 here in Chicago, we wanted to check in with you and let you know what we are doing in response. At this time, there is no plan to suspend service. As always, we’re very flexible with scheduling and understand if you need to cancel services in the meantime as a precaution or while you’re working from home. However, as it stands, it seems many people are still going to work as usual, and we plan to still be there for your pups, be it walks, daycare, or boarding. Safety is and always has been our top priority. Each of our walkers have been instructed to wash hands between every visit, use hand sanitizer if they have it, and some are opting to disinfect leashes and doorknobs at each visit as well or use their own leash when possible. All are asked to avoid unnecessary exposure to large groups, closely monitor their own health, and certainly stay home if they’re sick. In order to keep them all safe as well, please cancel services and inform us if you’re home due to a potential association with someone confirmed positive for the virus or if you’re under the weather yourself. As a small family-owned business, we will do everything we can to assist and financially support our dog walkers. With schedules being lighter, this may affect walker-retention long-term. If you’re currently working from home, but have already budgeted your walking services for the month, please consider sending an additional tip along for your walker instead. Any over-payments or tips will be forwarded 100% to your assigned dog walker. With our boarding numbers low, we are currently able to accommodate a few more daycare pups as well. We are a small home-office space, low foot-traffic and closed off to the general public. While we’re positive any pup would be happy to have their human working from home for a time, we also it’s not always practical or conducive to productivity. If your pup is social and getting a little stir-crazy inside, let us know, we’d be happy to provide details and see if they’re a good fit here! We will continue to refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other public health agencies to determine the safest course of action for everyone. We will stay in communication as the situation evolves, and will certainly alert everyone if we do need to suspend services. For those questions about your pup’s safety, to date, there is no evidence that companion animals or pets can spread COVID-19. For the latest information about coronavirus and pets, we encourage you to visit the links below: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/blog/coronavirus-your-dog-and-you/ We understand the concern and uncertainty you may be experiencing surrounding the coronavirus and are committed to being responsive to the needs of both you and your pup. Thank you for being a part of our Cruisin’ Canines family, it means the world to us. Sincerely,Pam and Paul Gordon, Cruisin’ Canines
Our JULY Dog of the Month is
Brie! Breed(s): Australian Shepherd / Cattle Dog Mix Age/Birthday: Adoption Day 6/30/2017, Approx 3 years old. Adopted from Paws 🙂 Where I Live: Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL Joys in Life: Getting cheese as treats, stopping for puppuccinos, cuddling and playing with her stuffed wubba toy. She loves to greet people and other dogs on walks, will often sit and wait to be pet or to say hi. Going to her Grandma’s house to be spoiled with chicken for dinner. Stopping to smell the flowers and grass after a fresh rain storm. Loves to wake up her owners so she can play and get belly rubs. Favorite Food/Treat: Per her name sake she has a soft spot for cheese. Adores any type of bone, sometimes can be found with her chin resting on her bone fast asleep. Favorite Toy/Activity: Her wubba, currently a frog she wants to play catch or tug of war with. Visiting her other dog friends (Sooki, Rosie and Stewie) for play-dates. Cuddling in her papasan chair for a nap. Find her on Instagram too! @cheesybriedog
Our JUNE Dog of the Month is
Rae! Breed(s): Black Lab Age/Birthday: A little over 2 – my birthday is April 17th Where I Live: Logan Square Joys in Life: Snuggling in bed with mom, hanging in dog-friendly bars and swimming in Lake Michigan Favorite Food/Treat: Cheez-Its are my favorite treat 😎 Favorite Toy/Activity: Moo-Moo. It’s a cow stuffed animal that I’ve had since I was a pup! Fun facts: I have an obnoxiously large tongue and love giving random humans (and other dogs) kisses at the dog park Cruisin’ Dog Walker: Athena Dog Walking Buddies: Parker and Keva, but I love everyone!
Our MAY Dog of the Month is
Ted! Breed/s: 75% to 100% Akita Age/Birthday: Sept 5, 2014. He came to us via Anti Cruelty Society May 1, 2016 Where I Live: In beautiful Avondale Joys in Life: Running on the beach. Favorite Food/Treat: Snacking on cheese and homemade soup…The soup part is not true! Favorite Toy/Activity: His favorite toy is his squeaky “Pink Dog.” A favorite activity is visiting neighborhood yards with pet chickens. Celebrity Look-alike: The lone ranger. Fun facts: When he wants food or a treat, he takes a toy to the food/treat and drops it, with gusto! Cruisin’ Dog Walker: Danielle. Ted watches out the windows for Danielle and he barks very loudly when she approaches. He rarely barks, otherwise.
Our APRIL Dog of the Month is
Milly! Breed/s: Mix! Age/Birthday: 9 years old. November 1, 2009 Where I Live: Roscoe Village Joys in Life: Being outside. She loves camping, hiking, fishing, and being by the lake. She has learned what it looks like to land a fish and will try to get to the fish before you reel it in. (See photo below!) Favorite Food/Treat: Anything that smells like salmon. It’s hard to eat sushi or cook salmon at the house without her going nuts. Favorite Toy/Activity: Milly has several toys that she spreads equal love to. She likes showing visitors her toys and then whipping them around her head. Cruisin’ Dog Walker: Katie Dog Walking Buddies: Milly loves walking with Franklin, but she’s a pal to anyone! Fun Facts: Milly has lived in 5 states and has hiked two 14ers in Colorado. Celebrity Look Alike: Dobby from Harry Potter
Our MARCH Dog of the Month is
Mollie! Breed: Shih Tzu Age/Birthday: 9/9/05, almost 14 years old! Where I Live: Chicago Joys in Life: Snuggles on the couch, treats, and taking a nap on the deck in the warm summer weather. When we have doggie play dates at our house, Mollie likes to guard her water bowl… Favorite Food/Treat: Mollie gets so excited about eating, she sometimes falls down from jumping around so much! Favorite Toy/Activity: Mollie only plays with one flat toy. She’s had it for 13 years. Although there’s not much left of it, she has no interest in any other toys! As far as treats, ANY treat is Mollie’s favorite! Cruisin’ Dog Walker: Toni
Our FEBRUARY Dogs of the Month
Sisters Sam + Sadie! Breed(s): Golden Retrievers Age/Birthday: Sam is 12 – 6/6/2006 Sadie is 3 – 5/2/2015 Where I Live: West Lincoln Park during the week and Lakeside, MI on the weekends Joys in Life: Sam lives for treats, being pet and snuggling on the sofa. She also really loves stuffed animals and barking while holding her toys in her mouth. Sadie is happiest in Michigan where she can sniff all the smells of nature. She also loves the round stuffed bird toys that Igor gets her for Christmas – they are her favorite – they are her “chicks”. She also loves to give kisses and snuggle on the sofa right next to her sister Sam. Favorite Food/Treat: Both Sadie and Sam will do just about anything for peanut butter – but they are also pretty happy to get cut up beef hot dogs or string cheese as special treats too! My mom gave them a little bite of beef tenderloin at Christmas this year and I don’t think they stopped licking their lips for at least 15 minutes to make sure they didn’t miss a drop! Favorite Toy/Activity: Any stuffed animal or Nylabone make both girls pretty happy, but their favorite activity in Chicago is to jump in the car early on a Sunday morning and drive up to the Lake County Forest Preserve dog park in Lake Forest. Somehow they know before we even get in the car that we are headed to Lake Forest. Sadie runs throughout the fields sniffing for field mice and Sam takes a leisurely stroll through the park followed by a long, well deserved nap at home. Cruisin’ Dog Walker: Igor Dog Walking Buddies: Murphy and in remembrance Molson
Our JANUARY Dog of the Month
Murray! Met our January Dog of the Month: Mur-man as his dog-walkers affectionately call him, is a rescue dog from Paws, the vet’s best guess on breed(s) is Golden for his color and Chow the curly tail. His family adopted him on June 29, 2008, and he was at least 2-3 years old then, so he’s now about 13 years old! His other nicknames include Mur, Murray MoMo, MoMo, Moe’s, and Mosley. He lives just a few blocks from the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, so about as close to heaven as it gets. Murr’s Greatest Joys in Life include guarding the front door, head rubs, body rubs, and going up to complete strangers to demand head or body rubs. His Favorite Treat is ice cubes, and he often gets one after his walkies, especially in the summer months. His Favorite Activity? Sprawling across any threshold in the house, so you have to step over Murray to move from room to room. Murray’s current dog-walker is Madeleine and they often take wonderful adventures together with good buddies Baxter, Albus, Koko, and many more. Murr is a very social pupper and loves his friends!
Our DECEMBER Dog of the Month is
Oxford! Oxford Circus (#OxTheFox) is an Old English Sheepdog named after the tube stop his human lived by when she studied abroad. And just like his name, he is quite the clown even at nearly seven years old. He loves to play soccer, herd his humans and make friends with everyone he meets on his walks. He also recently hosted a sheepdog party on his deck with three other Lakeview Old English Sheepdogs. But at the end of the day a good butt scratch and a milk bone are all this 80 pound ball of fluff needs to feel loved.
Our NOVEMBER Dog of the Month is
Izzy! — Breed(s): Izzy is a terrier mix! Not 100% certain, but our best guess is Rat Terrier with a little Jack Russell thrown in. — Age/Birthday: Not sure, but she’s about 1.5-2 years old. She was just adopted 4 months ago! — Where I Live: Wicker Park (big adjustment after spending the first part of her life in balmy Alabama.) — Joys in Life: Stella & Chewy’s lamb treats, deer antler chews, snuggles,being touched and petted, smelling every square inch of the sidewalk — Favorite Food/Treat: definitely those Stella & Chewy’s lamb treats, ice cubes, Greenies, and chicken or turkey — Favorite Toy/Activity: chasing squirrels, catching butterflies, destroying tennis balls and stuffed animals, anything to put those terrier instincts to good use ripping anything apart!