MILWAUKEE — A special bond between six women played a big part in launching a new pet care business in Milwaukee.
The women opened the Fetch! Pet Care of Greater Milwaukee franchise last July. It offers a team of sitters for all types of situations from dog walking and pet sitting to pet taxi services and even overnight care.
It was a venture that the group had been chatting about for years.
"We all saw a void, a lack of in-home pet care and alternative to kennels," co-owner Kate Vannoy said.
Five of the owners, Kate Vannoy, Donna Moss, Karen Ambrosh, Sarah Fadness, and Janet Posanski, first met as teachers at Audubon Middle School in Milwaukee in the 1990s.
"We're kind of nurturing by nature being teachers, so I think it does help us," Vannoy said.
The sixth woman, Carolyn Alonzo, has run the Chicago franchise for years and is one of Moss' cousins. Alonzo's experience and Moss' work alongside her inspired the group to open one in Milwaukee.
"It is scary. I don't think I would have done it by myself but is important sometimes to go a little bit past your comfort zone. If you have friends that can support you in that take it and go with it," Moss said.
Ambrosh thinks the years of friendship have helped the group.
"Because we know exactly what's going to happen. I can see exactly when Donna is going to roll her eyes in the meeting," Ambrosh said while laughing. "But we figure it out. We can figure that out and read each other well."
It helped that all of the women are animal lovers.
As this business nears its first year the special bond among the women is not lost.
"It's so powerful. We raise each other up and support each other and it makes all the difference," Ambrosh said.
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