Week #3 with Covid 19 - Let's Get this Pawrty Started!

Thank you to all that got us here!  Many thought we would be out for a few months, especially with the pandemic in March, when everything started shutting down around us. 

However it shows, passion and love, will make anything happen.  The Sleep Rover Community is strong.  We took possession of SR#3 in January and through the process, it wasn’t till the first week of March, that construction began, and voila, in little over a month, we are ready to welcome our clients in.  This did not come with hard work from behind the scenes of 3 of my close guy friends, Kevin, Clint and Leon, but through all the motivation, love and encouragement from all of you.  Even till the end, when occupancy would have taken us weeks, we are good to open with everyone working every day, sometimes up to 15 hours per day for the last 6 weeks to make sure, we do not let you all down.  It is surreal how quick this came together.  In a tough mental time for everyone in this world, we still have all of you, thinking for others, on 'how can I help' and 'where can I help?'.

Our new address is, 735 41st Avenue NE.  Best way from Deerfoot is turn west onto 32nd Avenue.  We will be your first right turn at 6th street, after the 2nd set of lights (which are the City Bus Depot Lights) – right at the Master Meats/Hearts Choice/Indian motorcycle turnoff.  Here you can take the first right turn (bumpy gravel roads tho, but no lights or stop signs, or the 2nd right, which is a quick stop sign.  You will pass a fancy Auto Maxx, a few school buses, and bam, we are right on the corner of 6a Street and 41st Avenue.

First off – just to let you all know, we do NOT have internet fibre service from Telus or Shaw at this location.  Yes, we are smack dab in the centre of Calgary, with nothing.  All our Shaw clients tried their best, at almost $1000/month, we ‘were’ considering, but ended up agreeing that was too much to have brand new internet installed.  So we have regular normal ‘almost dial up’ Telus to our location right now and a Telus hub as back up.  How does it effect you?  All your daily photos will no longer be loaded by midnight.  They will be sorted through, downloaded on a USB stick, for me to load at home.  Depending on my schedule, it might be up to 48 hours.  This Shaw process itself took quite a few people involved and a months worth of negotiations and problem solving.  Thank you for everyone that tried!  They anticipate 5G will be in our area instead in a few years.

Secondly – we got an email from someone who is not a client, in respect to our mail out, but still worth noting, as they are fair questions.

How is this safe at all? Why are you opening during a pandemic? How is this service essential ? 

For those that are our clients, you probably know our view on the situation, but to clarify, we are classified as an ESSENTIAL SERVICE. 

When I decided on how we were going about this, I weighed out the pros and cons.  If we stay open:

  1. We can still employ some of our staff and keep them running, something the government encourages. This helps lessen the strain on the society as a whole.  We all will have to find a way, to adjust to this new norm.
  2. We can service the Front Line clients that we have, Officers, Fire Fighters, EMS workers, Nurses, Surgeons, Doctors, Production or Service workers etc – I talk about my admiration of them always – unfortunately, I am not in a financial place to help them at no cost. They only take up 25% of our daily intake, and that itself, is not enough to maintain our 24/7 staffed facility.  We are super grateful to have all our clients, want to help out, not just us, but the Front Line, by bringing their dogs to make sure everyone is taken care of.  I think it speaks measures, when a small thought in my head, YYC GRUB LUV, raised over $1500 to bring goodies, to Foothills Hospital.  I love that, in crazy times, the pureness of people show.  I know 100%, that is what fueled us remaining Sleep Rover caregivers, to push through with SR#3 full force.
  3. Which brings me to the third question – how is it safe? Well we follow proper protocol, just like a grocery store, where you stay 2 metres apart, we do not talk to our clients for too long, and we disinfect everything from the desk to the door knobs every day, if not throughout the day.  We also encourage our clients to wear gloves if they wish.  We also have closed our boutique retail as part of the City request for safety.  I spent a few weeks, creating a new website for this purpose, shop and pick up and go.  As noted, we have to learn to find safe ways, to function.  The World is not going to close forever.  Safety first.

Know that I am quite paranoid about the Virus, thanks to CNN.  I was one of the dog facilities, that said ‘pretend we all have it, and treat us that way’.  To the point I even said, dogs are considered a surface too, so be diligent.  That itself brought on a whole week of drama from other businesses contacting me, saying I was ruining other pet service businesses by saying that.  At the end, this is our business, and our thought.  I would rather over react, than under react.  I see how hard our front line workers work.  I see how this has effected you, our clients too.  I would NEVER do anything to jeopardize that, without thinking, planning and adjusting.

We have all been working 15 hour days for the last few months, to pull this off, and I know it shows.  Love really does fuel the impossible.  Everyone gives me credit, but I must bounce it back off all on you, for being my fuel and light!  I’m just a little peon that likes finishing her quest (WOW joke here).

To clarify as well – we have 2 sites now.  GINGR is for booking Rover in for daycare and overnights.  Our website, www.sleeprover.ca is now a Shopify website – which allows you to purchase online.  We eventually will implement pass purchases on there as well (trialling how the April Grand Opening Pass does).  So yes, you will need to have an account to both.

Note, that we will track all your past GINGR points to the Shopify site – was aiming for May last year, but might be pushing more to June.  Please stay tuned. 

As noted, any glitches you get, please notify me so I can fix them.  I had to learn a new Inventory Software called VEND, and then link it to Shopify in the span of 2 weeks.. so I am for sure, lacking a few things here and there.  It will be updated regularly – so always check back!

SO WHAT TO KNOW when you come back Thursday:

  1. FIRST, if you are quarantined, do not bring your dog;
  2. SECOND, if you think you have come in contact with someone with Covid 19, do not bring your dog (wait the proper 2 week isolation mark);
  3. Our Address is 735 41st Avenue NE;
  4. Our Phone Line of 403-454-7833 will not be in service till April 8th Wednesday.  We will NOT have fax.
  5. In the meantime, contact us through email – and take note, due to the high volume, we may take more than 24 hours to reply to you;
  6. Maintain Social Distancing – keep 2 metres away from everyone during check in and check out. If you see a dog check in, stay in your car, till they come out and then check out.  Till we perfect a method, please budget extra time for drop offs and pick ups!  This is a City Requirement, to make sure, we follow proper public guidelines;
  7. Don’t be upset if we don’t chat much ( we want to!).  Feel free to contact us via email or Instagram to chat;
  8. Tours – if you wish for one, we would love to. If it isn’t crazy when you arrive, we will do one, if it is busy, we can schedule one (currently thinking of a method to do so, social distancing);
  9. Leashes – if you are super concerned about Covid19 and with dogs and leashes – do not hesitate to bring a glove or request for us to use our own leash to get hooked to your dog. We are also practicing new measures, for everyone, if you do request it:
    1. At check in time, you can unhook Rover when safe, and we will leash them with our own leash. If you are concerned or worried, or live with immune compromised individuals, please wear gloves, entering and leaving the premise.  We unfortunately do not have the capacity to wipe our door handles after every single person opening and closing our doors;
    2. At checkout, we will unhook Rover and have them run to you.  Please make sure Rover is leashed at all times for safety.  We are on a busy road;
  10. Parking at the front of our building is limited and a tad tough to maneuver – so if you plan to take awhile, please park on 6a Street, the side of our building (where the huge colorful sign is) and picnic tables.  You can park along the length of our building;Side Parking
  11. Need boutique? Order from home and you can pick up, when you pick up Rover!  If there is something you need, but we don’t have, email us so we can order it in for you!
    1. Local Delivery is set for Mondays right now.  Order by the weekend, and have it delivered within Calgary, on Monday;
    2. Pick Up at the Store is available every day from 7am to 7pm.  If this falls on a weekend, please Instagram us a time between 7am to 7pm, and we will meet you outside;
  12. NEW HOURS:  Weekdays are 7am to 7pm and we are closed on the Weekends for daycare.  Those needing to check in and out on the weekends, will need to notify a time with us for both between 7am to 7pm.

We look forward to seeing you all.  SR3 beams love and sunshine, and it comes from all of you.

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