By Rose Fennessy and Makayla Leitten

Brockport, NY—The sounds of paws padding against the concrete, vigorous squeaks from chew toys, and playful barks echo throughout the building. In multiple areas, dogs are seen playing with one another, running around to dispense their boundless energy, or roaming leisurely to enjoy the space. This is a common scene at Boops Co. Boarding & Daycare where dogs can find a home away from home.  

In 2019 Tylar Bungo and his wife, Alyssa Bungo, signed up for Rover.com, a website that allows you to pet sit for animals in your area. Two years later in 2021, the original owner of Boops Co. had put the establishment up for sale. Bungo and his wife saw this as an opportunity to turn their passion into a business.  

“The previous owner had never opened the doors to the public. They were going to close down, and we figured let’s just buy it and start it basically from scratch. There was no customer base or anything like that,” Tylar Bungo said. 

After they officially opened their doors, Boops Co. started to provide a doggy daycare for locals. While at daycare, the dogs participate in a variety of activities.  

“They get plenty of outside time, bathroom breaks, lots of working on simple commands like off or sit. There is a lot of free play and a lot of resting during the day,” Bungo said. “They all get along when they are outside. We have a pool too, a little kiddie pool for the dogs. They love that.”  

The dogs are separated into five groups based on size and play style. For dogs weighing around or under 25 pounds, they are sorted into the Diggie Smalls Play Group. The Bark Street Boys Play Group consists of dogs who prefer less body contact during play, but the dogs who like to play rough and wrestle are put in the Jurassic Bark Play Group. The Dog-Father Play Group is for dogs on the older side. 

“We have five separate playrooms inside, so it makes it very easy to accommodate dogs who may need a smaller play group. We also take dogs who cannot go with other dogs and we will leave a playroom completely empty for them, so they are able to play with staff,” Bungo said. “We try to accommodate all personalities.”  

Boops Co. has amassed a large number of clients since they are located near both a college and high school campus.  

“At daycare we are pretty steady year-round. Summer might be a little bit less busy, but that’s because we’re so close to the campus, not only the college campus, but elementary and high school,” Bungo said.  

Every member of Boops Co. staff is canine first aid certified to ensure that the animals will be properly taken care of in case of an emergency.  

“It’s basically pet CPR and first aid and it’s something that we pay for and certifies our staff,” said Bungo. “So if anything were to happen like an abrasion, a cut, a dog bite, choking, anything like that, we would be able to handle it. 

Kylie Vargas is a daycare and kennel attendant at Boops Co. who started in February 2024. During her time working at Boops Co. Vargas has learned that working at a dog daycare requires more work than some may think. 

“A lot of people don’t realize that working at a dog daycare is more than just playing with dogs, it’s a lot of cleaning, organizing, and adapting to the dog’s needs such as seeing who they play well with and trying to pair dogs of similar size and energy levels,” said Vargas.  

The job comes with some challenges but is also rewarding, according to Vargas.  

“The hardest part is remembering all of the dog’s names and their personalities, it’s easier said than done,” said Vargas. “I think once everyone is where they’re supposed to be, the easiest part of the job is just taking care of the dogs. My favorite part of the day is when everything settles and I can just play with them.” 

Like Vargas, Boops Co. shift leader Lauren Baker has many responsibilities when taking care of the dogs.  

“My day usually starts by taking care of boarding dogs, which includes feeding and outside time. Throughout the day, I place dogs in playgroups, take playgroups outside, and complete daily cleaning tasks around the building,” said Baker.  

The presence of the dogs has been found to produce a sense of ease during these tasks according to Baker. 

“The easiest part of the job is 100 percent being with the dogs. We have the best group of pups and their humans are fantastic too,” said Baker 

The daycare at Boops Co. Boarding & Daycare creates bonds between staff and dogs, resulting in a loving and nurturing environment for all the four-legged friends who walk through their doors.