Roby Geevarghese said he never had a dog as a kid because his parents were allergic — but that didn’t stop his love for animals. Years later, he opened Woofie’s Evanston-North Shore, a mobile pet service, to tap into this love.
Geevarghese “soft-launched” the business in November and plans to celebrate its grand opening at the end of May.
Woofie’s is a national franchise offering pet sitting, dog walking and mobile spa services for animals, with 56 operating locations across 25 states.
“What makes us unique is that, yes, we do have mobile grooming, the mobile pet spa and things like that. But that isn’t the only piece,” Geevarghese said. “We also do pet sitting and dog walks. We’re kind of like a one-stop shop for pet care in the suburbs.”
Geevarghese said he has always loved and been interested in animals. He grew up with parakeets and rabbits, and he entered college as a pre-veterinary major. While he eventually switched to studying economics, Geevarghese said starting Woofie’s was the perfect way to pursue both of his interests.
“To be able to connect my business experience as well as my passion for animals has been a fun dream come true,” Geevarghese said.
Sixth Ward resident Kira Meinzer, one of Woofie’s customers, said she sticks with the brand because it goes “above and beyond.” Meinzer’s family rescued a dog, Summer, in August 2023, and needed help with dog walking and pet sitting.
But Meinzer said she was looking for something more reliable than an independent dog walker.
Meinzer said she didn’t like bringing her dog to commercial grooming locations because, as a rescue, Summer was often scared. She thought an at-home service would be better for her dog.
“What I appreciated about Roby is that he took the time to understand the dog, explain the services and was taking really great notes,” Meinzer said. “What I like about Woofie’s is we get the same groomer over and over, so Summer can become comfortable with him.”
Rogers Park resident and Woofie’s dog groomer Schyler Means started working for the franchise in January and grooms around four dogs every Thursday.
Means said she enjoys her job because of the connections she makes with individual dogs.
Geevarghese schedules the grooming appointments, Means said, and all she has to do is drive to pet owners’ houses throughout the day. She said the back of the Woofie’s truck is set up like a mini salon with a table, a bathtub and all of the tools she needs to groom a dog.
“I work more with the pets than I do with the people, which is how I prefer it,” Means said. “It’s just me, myself and vibing with the dogs. It gives me time to actually bond with the pets that I’m grooming.”
Means said she prefers Woofie’s methodical approach to grooming, where she gets to know the dogs better than a more corporate “zoom groom.”
Forging bonds between pets and the Woofie’s employees who care for them is central to the business’s mission, Geevarghese said.
“Animals are like kids. They’re part of the family for many people. We know that they need to be cared for in a way that’s really personalized,” Geevarghese said. “It’s more than just a business, it’s taking care of the people in our community.”
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