I’m so pleased to share this interview with you today. I’m talking with Orazie Cook, the founder of Praline’s Backyard. Her impactful dog daycare and boarding facility is inspired by a sobering statistic that affects women and dogs around the country. 10 million people in the US are affected by domestic violence each year. With roughly 50% of Americans owning dogs, that’s 5 million dog owners who are impacted.

The rough part is, the percentage of domestic violence shelters that can take pets is only about 15%.

Orazie plans to make a difference in those numbers by providing housing for pets of individuals who are in a housing transition due to an unsafe relationship. Especially at this time of year, I hope that this episode warms your heart to know that there are people out there making a difference in the world.

In addition to talking about the soon-to-be daycare and boarding facility, Orazie shares some great advice about changing careers to follow your passion for pets. Even if you feel that you don’t have any pet industry experience on your resume – you do have a skillset and a zone of genius to tap into!

Speaking of a zone of genius… Are you a dog walking or pet sitting professional? Head over to petpocketbook.com to check out this all-in-one software to run your business on the go. Thank you PetPocketbook for sponsoring the podcast this month!

Cage-Free Boarding for Pets of Domestic Abuse Survivors

Orazie Cook is the founder of Praline’s Backyard doggie daycare and boarding. As a long time volunteer at area animal shelters and domestic violence shelters in the Atlanta area, she is a lover to animals and an advocate for how they are treated. Recently, Orazie finally decided to open her own dog daycare and boarding facility.

In addition to providing cage-free dog services to the community, she will provide housing for dogs of domestic violence survivors while they are in housing transition, giving them the confidence that they can leave their unhealthy living conditions with the assurance that their dogs will be cared for. This service eliminates one of the barriers domestic violence survivors encounter when wanting to leave an unhealthy relationship. Praline’s Backyard will be open in August 2023.

OVERVIEW OF THIS EPISODE:

• How Orazie’s volunteer work helped her see a problem that needed to be fixed
• Raising awareness about domestic violence and how it affects pets
• What Orazie looked for when choosing a location for Pralines Backyard
• Why pet parents are the best people to work with
• How you can help non-profits even without donating
• Advice for people that want to make a big career shift
• Orazie’s 5-10 year plan for Praline’s Backyard

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
• The Genius Zone by Gay Hendricks

WHERE TO FIND ORAZIE:

• Website: www.pralinesbackyard.com
• Website: https://pralinesbackyardfoundation.org/
• Instagram: @pralines_backyard
• Facebook: @pralinesbackyard
• TikTok: @pralines_backyard

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