Meet Lindsay LaRocca and Brittany Turgeon of WAGS Charlestown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay LaRocca and Brittany Turgeon.

Lindsay, Brittany – please share your story with us.
We are co-owners and we met back in 2012 when our worlds collided through our love and passion of animal rescue. We were both volunteers and coordinators for Last Hope K9 Rescue and became fast friend through our obsession with Pit Bulls and our love for animals as for as far back as we can both remember.

When Brittany graduated high school, she instantaneously knew that she wanted to work with animals and pursued her passion by attending Florida Institute of Animal Arts. Her passion and patience with dogs of all shapes and sizes lead to her winning the prestigious award, Best of Boston for Grooming in 2013.

In April of 2013 Lindsay was laid off from her job as an executive assistant and Brittany had posted a dog walking opportunity at the company she worked for in Charlestown. Lindsay jumped at the chance to start working with animals and after a week of walking applied to Mount Ida College to become a Vet Tech. For three years she hit the books, walked a ton of pups and continued to volunteer and sit on the Board of Directors of Last Hope K9 Rescue.

After working together for almost three years, in the fall of 2015, Brittany and Lindsay had the amazing opportunity of buying out the company they worked for, Durty Harry’s. A fresh start for 2016 meant a name change and a new storefront location in Charlestown. Just like that, WAGS Charlestown, Walking & Grooming Services was born just a few blocks away from our old location. We are so grateful that not only did all of our amazing clients follow us but we’ve been able to build new, lifelong relationships with our new shop location.

Has it been a smooth road?
Like many first time entrepreneurs, there was a steep learning curve when it came to opening a new storefront. Surprise number one occurred when we tried to get our zoning license. As it turns out, dog grooming doesn’t exist in the Boston zoning code and we couldn’t get our occupancy license for business, if the building wasn’t already zoned for dog grooming. The first step in our zoning journey was to present to the Charlestown Community Board for their approval of the use of our space. We then had to go through countless rounds of submitting paperwork to get the zoning code changed to fit our use. Inspectional Services Department basically became our second home. To be completely honest, it was a complete nightmare when it was happening. It seemed as though anything that could possibly go wrong did. There were a lot of sleepless nights wondering if we made the right choice to buy out the business. I think a lot of first time entrepreneurs can feel our pain! The entire process of getting the zoning code changed to get our occupancy permit took four months and according to everyone we spoke with at ISD that was quick!

When we look back on the challenges we faced in the beginning, it was all worth it. It made us a stronger and more united team and we now know that we can truly accomplish anything we set our minds to!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with WAGS Charlestown – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Fun Fact! WAGS Charlestown is actually an acronym that stands for Walking and Grooming Services!

Here at WAGS we offer dog walking, dog grooming, dog sitting (for our walking clients), self-wash and a limited amount retail.

Brittany and Katie are both full time groomers here at WAGS Charlestown. They each graduated from grooming schools which sets them apart from their competition. In Massachusetts, grooming isn’t a regulated industry and formal training is unfortunately not a requirement. We pride ourselves on the fact that they each graduated from a 900 hour training program and bring over 13 years of grooming expertise to WAGS. Katie is also CPR and first aid certified.

We only groom one dog at a time to ensure that every dog gets the best care and undivided attention during their spaw day. We groom each dog from start to finish to minimize any stress a pup might have during the process. Because we only groom one pup at a time, we’re able to keep the environment completely cage free, meaning that any dog that gets along with other dogs gets to hang out and play behind the desk while they await their pickup. This creates a very calm and laid back environment where pups look forward to their visits with Auntie Katie and Auntie Britt.

Our walking team is comprised of 7 walkers that absolutely love all our pups. The team is led Lindsay who considers herself part-dog. You can see our team members out and about daily, rain or shine, taking adorable pics and selfies to send to the client’s parents. We set ourselves apart by offering solo dog walks, walks in pairs or in a small group of three if they’re absolutely best friends. Most days you’ll find us out walking in pairs. Here at WAGS we don’t believe in pack walks or tying up any dogs outside. It’s an absolute no-no in our eyes as the safety and happiness of our dogs and our walkers is always our number one concern.

Lindsay brings her Veterinary Technology background to all of her clients, never hesitating to take an extra peek at a pups eyes, nails or surgical incision after a spay or neuter. She also has four years of walking experience and four years of fostering and dog sitting including special needs dogs. Most of the walking team has been with us for 2-3 years and bring consistency to the pups they walk!

As for our retail selection, we’re a huge fan of local products and source as many locally made treats and goodies as possible.

We’re most proud of being actively involved in our dog community. As business owners and philanthropists we’re really interested in WAGS Charlestown giving back to the community and to dogs in need. Because of this, we organize and participate in as many fundraisers in Charlestown as possible. Our most recent fundraiser was back in March for a local pit bull needing many months of physical therapy. It was our first wash-a-thon event in our new space and the outpouring of support was beyond our wildest dreams. There was a steady line of people waiting for $10 baths and $5 nail trims all day long. We had raffle prizes and pupcakes and photography. The event was an absolute success, raising a little over $1200 for Miss. Gigi and her therapy.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We love that there are SO many dogs in Boston. Specifically, the dog community in Charlestown is best of the best! We love walking around Charlestown and getting greeted by all our favorite pups day in and day out.

If we could change one thing about Boston, we wish that the city was more dog friendly! If Boston could replicate the dog friendly atmosphere of either Dallas or Los Angeles we’d be over the moon excited. We love nothing more than including our fur-kids in our daily activities.

Pricing:

• Dog Walking: $15-$60 depending on service line and number of dogs in the household
• Dog Sitting: $65+ per night depending on number of dogs in the household
• Dog Grooming: $40+ Bath & Blowout
• Dog Grooming: $60+ Full groom depending on size, breed, condition of coat and behavior on the table
• Self-Wash: $13, 7th wash is free!
• Retail: $2-$20

Contact Info:

• Address: 227 Bunker Hill Street
  2nd Floor
  Charlestown, MA 02129
• Website: www.wagscharlestown.com
• Phone: 617-242-3647
• Email: info@wagscharlestown.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagscharlestown/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WagsCharlestown/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wagscharlestown
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wags-charlestown-charlestown
• Other: Snapchat WAGS Charlestown

Image Credit:
JessFoto

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