Client Newsletter | B2C Long-Form Communication
July Newsletter (Email) | West End Walkers 2022
Happy weekend, everyone!
I hope you and your pets are having a wonderful summer so far despite this heat wave – yuck!
Today the West End Walkers team and I have an important holiday reminder and some significant staffing updates. If you have any questions or needs, please email us at westendwalkers@gmail.com!
Holiday Reminder - Independence Day on Thursday, July 4th
Going out of town for the holiday weekend?
Need to cancel a recurring appointment for this Thursday?
Looking for some extra help with pet care surrounding the 4th?
Please inform me of any changes to your usual schedule at your earliest convenience. And don’t forget: any holiday walks or overnight pet sitting needs must be confirmed by Monday, July 1st to ensure I have staff coverage for your pet care needs.
Staffing Updates - Farewell to Claire, Jeremy, and Joe!
With a heavy heart, I must announce the departure of some beloved members of the incredible WEW team; however, I am also very eager to introduce you to some wonderful new hires. Keep reading for some hot, hot tea!
(Not actual tea… And also not really any gossip… Just keep reading, okay?)
Claire joined WEW as our fourth walker in August of 2017 – just when I began expanding into the West and North Ends! Claire’s patience and ability to adapt to any last-minute requests quickly made her an invaluable part of our crew and Favorite Person Ever™ to nearly every four-legged companion in the neighborhood. Without Claire’s help and availability, WEW wouldn’t have seen such immense growth as a business while still guaranteeing the most reliable, high-quality pet care in Boston’s West End.
At the end of July, Claire is following her theater dreams in an exclusive graduate program at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The team and I can’t wait to see Claire take the theater world by storm and deeply appreciate her dedication to the WEW community over the last few years. I told Claire to brace herself for a flood of good wishes, so have at it!
Jeremy and Joe are packing up their WEW T-shirts and trekking all the way to sunny Los Angeles together this August to pursue careers in the television production world. (I’m sure you’re also thinking that a cross-country road trip with these two sounds super fun and also hoping they remember us when they make it big!)
Jeremy joined WEW in December of 2018, quickly taking on long shifts in the thick of winter with a smile and an extra pair of gloves (just in case you forgot yours!). I know the WEW community adores Jeremy’s positivity, helpfulness, and willingness to go the extra mile for you and your pets. Jeremy even made us a breathtaking promotional video at WEW’s Longfellow Yappy Hour, which you can see highlighted on our Instagram page! It brings me to tears every time I watch it… but maybe that’s just me?
Joe joined WEW shortly after Jeremy in 2018. He was a very quick learner and utilized his innate ability to connect with animals (we called it his superpower) and win every pet over right away. Joe can be seen racing around the dog park or wrestling with a whole pack of dogs; I can safely say that he’ll forever hold the record for hours of cardio during any given WEW shift. Personally, I’ll miss seeing Joe cradle around a very happy Stella in his arms at the dog park. (Who’s going to tell her she’s moving? Noses!)
I know that you and your pets will miss these three (almost) as much as me, so please stop by to give them a warm send-off at the Longfellow Dog Park at 7pm on Friday, July 26th. I’ll be sending more info on this event in another newsletter next week!
Staffing Updates - Introducing Kendra, Kia, and Jessica!
As our team says goodbye to some stellar walkers, I’m happy to introduce new team members to the WEW crew. Kendra, Kia, and Jessica recently completed a week of intensive training and are looking forward to taking excellent care of your pets, starting next week!
Kendra has loved animals more than anything for as long as she can remember. She started with WEW this summer after leaving her management job in a corporate restaurant setting, searching for deeper fulfillment in her daily work. Kendra has always been a pet owner, from dogs to cats to bunnies and fish. She was even the sole caretaker of up to thirty horses while managing a stable in Montana!
Kendra previously worked at Big Dog Walking (a dog sitting and walking company in Brighton), offers her own pet care through apps like Wag and Rover, and is her neighborhood’s go-to gal for pet sitting. When she’s not asking strangers if she can pet their dog, you can find her watching a new spooky movie or at the beach soaking up some rays!
Kia is a Boston native and recent graduate of the Mount Ida College of Veterinary Technology. While at Mount Ida, Kia regularly performed kennel shifts which involved a demanding schedule of dog walking, training, and grooming. Kia’s formal education on animal behavior and veterinary care made her application really stand out among the rest! I know your pets will be in great hands with Kia.
Kia even owns three dogs of her own: Yorkie-Shih Tzu mixes named Dennis, Priti, and Mixiey. Dennis and Priti have parented multiple litters, so Kia is uniquely well versed in puppy care! Kia has been wholly dedicated to caring for animals since a young age and is thrilled to bring her knowledge and passion to the WEW crew.
Jessica grew up in Colorado, raising many cats and dogs on her family’s farm. No matter where life takes her, she always volunteers at local shelters and makes it a priority to spend her free time with animals in her area. For two years, she walked a mutt named Benji for a woman with severe outdoor allergies; they still keep in touch despite Benji sadly having passed. Jessica worked for a private company in Somerville, walking pups with different temperaments or special needs until moving to Boston last month.
Even during training, Jessica cherished her time with the many pets of the West End – taking in the sunlight and fresh air while enjoying a well-deserved stroll around the esplanade. When Jessica is not dog walking, she works as a Library & Education Program Assistant at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute, while also completing her master's degree in Library Science at Simmons College. She enjoys reading, sewing, and cuddling her Himalayan cat, Spazzy.
As always, thank you all for making our community such a happy and fun one. I’m sure you’ll welcome our new team members with open arms (and paws), for which I want to thank you in advance!
I can’t wait to enjoy another few months of (reliably) sunny days with my favorite furry friends. Have a fun and safe Independence Day!
Bark Bark Woof,
Dana & the WEW Crew
Chief Operating Officer
West End Walkers
Boston, MA 02114
