Seems like more and more pooches are getting out into the working world – mostly by helping their humans run their businesses. This week I yapped with a pooch who took that a pawprint further. Karu Pettyan is the inspiration behind an entire business that totally changed the lives of him and his humans.
Karu’s a big, handsome Golden Retriever with a very Golden Retriever-ish personality – outgoing and extroverted, but not hyper. He was at the door to meet us, with his Mom and Dad.
“Welcome to our home!” he said, approaching for the Wag-and-Sniff. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you! This is my Mom and Dad, Pamela and Adrian. We’re Canadians, from Toronto. Come on, let’s go sit in the living room.”
We settled in. I got out my notebook. “So, Karu, tell me how you ended up way down here, from Canada.”
“Well, Mom’s a therapist, Dad’s a chiropractor. They ran a health care clinic in Toronto and wanted to add a therapy dog to the staff. After they scoped out different breeds, they decided Goldens had the best personalities for the job. Which is true. We love humans and other pooches and we don’t get stressed or grumpy. Anyway, they got me as a pupster from a Reputable Breeder. And you’ll NEVER guess my Papers Name – Winter Faire What’s Up Doc. Can you beLIEVE it?”
“Woof!” I exclaimed. “How’d they come up with that one?”
“It’s cuz my Dad totally LOVES Bugs Bunny! But, thank Rin-Tin-Tin, nobody ever actually uses those Papers Names. They call me Caru cuz it means “to love” in Welsh, only they spelled mine with a “K” just to be different. Mom remembers when I was a fluffball, running down the hall at the clinic with a roll of toilet paper streaming out behind. Those puppy days were fun!
“Anyway, I did therapy work for a while. I was a natural at making the patients smile. But I had a whole bunch of ear infections and food allergies, so I had to stop. I just kept chewing and licking, trying to make my ears not hurt. The vet tried all kinds of yukky medicines and diets, but I’m a picky eater. Nothing worked ‘til Mom decided to get creative and make my food her very own self. She’d make it in one of these big pots that takes a long time and the whole house smells delicious. She used fresh meat and fresh vegetables, no sugar, salt, or that glue-something, and, Dog, was it seriously yummy! After a little while, I started feeling Much Better. Every Friday Mom’d make a big batch of food for the whole week and take some to the clinic staff who had pooches. They totally loved it, too.
“Then I had an ‘A-Ha’ moment. I suggested we make more of my special foods so more pooches could have some, too. After all, it solved my problems and I look really great. Mom and Dad thought I was a total genius! They looked into it and pretty soon we were in business.
“We have 4 stew flavors and 6 treats flavors. (Venison’s my favorite.) We put the stew in those cool ‘juice boxes’ so it doesn’t get all gronky and doesn’t have to be frozen. That was my idea, also. I like to say it’s Uncanny. Get it? Un-CANNY? And I’m really proud that my food is made in human food plants. It’s FDA-certified human grade. After all, us pooches are worth it, right?”
“Right!” I said, still laughing at his pun. “Good move, Karu! You musta been SO busy.”
“Woof, yes! With the clinic and making pet food, we were running our tails off. (At least, I was.) Finally I told Mom and Dad we needed to decide on one or the other. So we went pet food full time. We named our brand after ME – ‘Caru.’ Now we’re Made in the USA. I’ve got a work permit and I’m hoping to get a green card. I LOVE it here!
“And, as the inspiration for the company, I have an important position: Spokespooch and Chief Taster. If I don’t like it – it’s outta here. Like, Mom was making dog cookies and she’d try ’em on me first. Most of ’em were A-OK, but I nixed one batch fast – Broccoli Cookies. I mean, pul-EEEZE!”
“Can’t argue with you there,” I said. “I guess you travel a lot?”
“’Yep. Lotta store visits. And we got rave reviews at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando. Not to brag, but it’s me they come to see. Oh, yeah, I’ve seen the looks. I’ve heard the whistles. The only part of the job I don’t like is those goofy costumes I hafta wear, New Year’s, St. Patrick’s Day, you name it. I do it for the biz, but I’m always thinkin’ ‘Hurry up, take the picture and get me outta this!’ ”
“What about plain ol’ playin’?”
“I enjoy peek-a-boo on our open staircase: Dad pretends he’s a monster and I pretend-growl. Depending on where we are, I love rollin’ in the snow, or the sand. And, since I’m a retriever, Mom and Dad want me to Fetch. WELL, Fetch isn’t my fav, but I’ll fetch the first time. After that, forget it. Chase is always fun, too: squirrels down here, rabbits in Canada. And I have lots of pooch pals: Heidi, a Doxie; Beauford, a Golden like me; Sadie and Stanley, Basset Hounds.
“One of my most favorite times is in the morning, before work, me and Mom and Dad have cuddle time. That’s the Total Best!”
Heading home, I thought how cool it’d be to have a whole line of dog food named after you. And how yummy that Duck Snack was that Karu gave me for the road.
Till next time,
The Bonz
