The former Okotoks food bank building is going to the dogs — some smart-looking dogs.
Shanea Pederson, owner of The Lady and Tramps, a dog and cat grooming business, plans to move into the former Okotoks Food bank building in August.
She started her business in November, which is now located at the side of the Elizabeth Street Animal Hospital — back when COVID-19 had not yet spread to North America.
Her first few months were slow and she questioned whether coming to Okotoks from Fort McMurray was a wise decision.
However, things picked up in mid-March, due in part to the COVID-19.
“A lot of people started coming to me because I didn’t close,” said Pederson.
She said she had clients coming from High River, Airdrie and Calgary during the early days of the COVID-19 business restrictions.
“I was wearing a mask and doing drop off and pick-up outside the parking lot,” Pederson said.
Her plan now is to move into the former food bank in August – she feels the timing is right.
“I knew that if I was business at a time like this nothing was going to really slow me down,” said Pederson, who bought the facility. “Nobody is going to stop grooming their dogs – they might just do it less often.”
She said she is also a canine hydrotherapist and her long-term goal is to have a heated pool to help dogs with health issues.
