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Letter to the editor

Second career goes to the dogs

By CHRISTINA COSDON, Times Staff Writer
Published January 18, 2008

Susan L. Caya owns Canine Cardio Co., which provides a dog walking service to owners in the North Pinellas area.
	[Joseph Garnett, Jr. | Times]

PALM HARBOR - When the economic upheaval of Sept. 11 took a toll on her 15-year-old telecommunications company, Sue Caya gradually phased it out and decided to go back to school.

"I went for an animal sciences degree because of my love for animals," she said. "It was hard. There was a lot of math and science, but I loved it. My son, Jared, and I started college at the same time. I couldn't have gotten through the math without his help."

While working on an internship with horses during studies at Central Florida Community College in Ocala, she fretted over her inability to find anyone to take her shepherd-chow mix, Bear, for the long walks he needed while she was away.

"It made me think that other people must be having the same problem," she said.

In August, the Palm Harbor resident started Canine Cardio Co., an insured and bonded business dedicated to exercising and socializing dogs whose owners don't have the time or the energy to exercise their pets.

"Many people don't realize their dogs need to be walked at least an hour a day," said Caya, 44. "Even the dogs with bad hips and arthritis need to get out and walk. Exercise also solves a lot of behavior problems like excessive barking, digging and chewing. Without daily exercise, they get depressed and they get fat."

Armed with water and first aid supplies, Caya routinely takes 6-year-old Bear and a group of her clients' dogs to her favorite area parks. They power walk and play afterward. "Play is good, but they only get that after their walk," Caya said.

"We walk on the outer edges and the trails," she said. "You can't take your eyes off them for a minute. A car, a squirrel or a snake can distract them. Bear works hard at herding the dogs and generally keeps them in line. He's got such good energy and he's calm."

Caya's service area is north Pinellas County, from Dunedin to Tarpon Springs and East Lake.

She doesn't accept aggressive dogs and all her canine clients must be spayed or neutered and have current county licenses and be up to date with shots, vaccinations and flea/worm/tick treatments. Group walks are $20 for each dog or $30 for a two-dog family.

For more information about Canine Cardio Co., call 727 953-8816 or visit www.caninecardiocompany.com.

Bank hires loan operations executive

Georgia Bovinett has been named vice president, loan operations manager of the Old Harbor Bank at 2605 Enterprise Road in Clearwater.

She has 37 years banking experience and most recently was assistant vice president, loan administration manager of Patriot Bank's Trinity office. She is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and has lived 20 years in the Tampa Bay area.

Old Harbor Bank is a locally owned and operated community bank with corporate headquarters in Clearwater and offices in Belleair Bluffs, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, New Port Richey and Trinity. It opened in July 2003 and has total assets in excess of $215-million.

Recycle packing peanuts at Pak Mail

Joe Falanga, owner of the Pak Mail Center at Largo Mall, has joined the Peanut Hotline, a packing peanuts reuse program created by the Plastic Loose Fill Council. Unwanted plastic loose packing peanuts can be dropped off at the center for recycling and reuse. For more about Pak Mail's recycling visit www.pakmail.com and for more about the Peanut Hotline visit www.loosefillpackaging.com.

Program helps test new business ideas

NxLevel, a training program for entrepreneurs, will start at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28 and meet every Monday for 10 weeks at the Pinellas County Business Development Center, 13805 58th St. N, Suite 1-200, in the Icot Business Center near Largo.

The class is designed for those who want to start or grow a business and need to test the feasibility of their concepts. Participants will develop complete business plans suitable for obtaining financing and managing the growth of a small business.

Course fee is $149 and includes NxLevel textbook, workbook, online support materials, sample business plans and professional business counseling.

To obtain more information and to register, call Kurt Forster at (727) 453-7200 or visit www.pced.org/entrepreneurs.

News of businesses and business people can be faxed to the Business Digest at 445-4119, e-mailed to cosdon@sptimes.com or mailed to Business Digest, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. We are interested in new and unusual businesses, promotions, expansions, commercial sales and major new contracts. Photos can be mailed or e-mailed by jpeg file.

[Last modified January 17, 2008, 20:54:54]