Today we’d like to introduce you to Chiara Dolzani and Raffaella Ferro.
Chiara and Raffaella, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The idea of Stardogs was born when we decided to start this new adventure abroad. We come from Italy and we moved to Los Angeles about 2 years ago.
Since I was young, I had the dream of living in California. Raffaella, my business partner and wife, supported my dream and encouraged the decision to move to Los Angeles.
I am a Veterinarian and Dog Trainer and I have been working in Italy for 12 years. I opened my own Veterinary clinic in Trento, in the North of Italy. After a few years, I moved to Rome, where I met Raffaella. I started working in a veterinary clinic and in afamous Italian dog training center.
I released interviews as a Veterinarian and Dog Behaviorist on many TV programs and magazines. I became passionate about dogs on movie sets and I started training my dog, Paco.
He appeared in few movies and commercials. (I would love him to take part in an American movie too!)
Despite obtaining my degree in veterinary medicine, I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to practice in the USA for the moment. Dogs are my world, so I decided to go on. Although I couldn’t practice, I could anyway offer my know how and experience at our doggy daycare.
Raffaella was working in Italy as a freelance in marketing. The idea to create our own company on the other side of the world was an exciting challenge. We started working on a new concept of dog daycare and step by step we built the brand Stardogs.
As soon as we moved to Los Angeles we spent the first months looking for a place where we could start up our business.
We searched for quite a long time and were losing hope when, finally, we found the perfect place in West Hollywood, at the border of Beverly hills. There, Stardogs was born: a premium Clubhouse for small dogs!
If we think of all the things we did and lived through during the past year, we cannot believe it. We really made it!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Taking the decision of moving to Los Angeles was very hard. We knew we were leaving family, friends, job, home, habits, but we didn’t know what we would have expected. USA is far away from Italy and moving here was hard. Thanks to the help of LaFirstStep Agency, we finally got our first VISA.
A few months before we started to pack our life: quit the job, sell the car, say goodbye to family and friends, lock the door of our sweet home. It was never easy to leave everybody behind and start all over in a different country. But it was exciting, we were looking forward to join a new adventure!
We perfectly remember the day of the flight. Heavy baggages, our minds full of thoughts and our two dogs Paco and Nina sharing this adventure with us.
Starting a new life and a new business, completely alone, on the other side of the world, speaking a different language, was very hard for us. We had to overcome obstacles, finding every time and every day a new solution. We went through several sacrifices and challenges were there every single day.
It’s been one year today since we opened Stardogs at the end of July 2018. We worked hard, giving always our best.
This is a great experience and we love living in Los Angeles.
We are away from home but Stardogs is our a new family now!We met wonderful people and customers and we are thankful to be here every day.
Sometime is hard, but the love for each other and all the affection we receive from our loyal customers and dogs, give us the strength and the enthusiasm to go on and never give up, making us proud of what we are doing. If you believe in something and you bring professionalism, expertise and love, you can make it!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Stardogs – what should we know?
Stardogs is a premium doggy daycare for small dogs located in a peaceful and quiet area close to Beverly Hills.
The Clubhouse is cage-free and supervised by experienced staff in a clean, safe and healthy environment.
Stardogs is designed to relax and stimulate the mind and body of dogs, making them always healthy and happy.
Dogs can socialize with their friends and join enrichment activities during the day, instead of staying alone at home.
We offer club time, premium baths, mental games, gym, walks, private training and school for puppies. We train dogs to do tricks and we would love to be in the future a reference point for film agencies that are looking for dog actors.
The biggest innovation we brought in the US from Italy is the latest dog’s spa experience: the hydrotherapy in ozone water. A luxurious treatment for dogs in hydromassage, chromotherapy and aromatherapy.
The ozone water is the most powerful and natural antimicrobial existing in nature. The benefits for dogs are a lot: skin and coat healing, joint and muscles relaxation, anxiety relief, reactivation, revitalization.
I have been teaching to students and using this therapy in Italy for over 5 years at the first grooming Italian center.
During this time I achieved excellent results on dog’s skin and coat. The hydrotherapy in ozone water is great for treating allergies, dermatitis, itchiness, fur loss. The treatment is particularly suitable for all dogs that suffer from skin problems (like frenchies) or elderly dogs having muscles issues. It is also helpful as treatment for stress and separation anxiety; and it’s great for puppies as well: it helps them to get confident in the water and to relax. During the treatment we use salts and essential oils to enhance the experience and the results.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We believe that the key element for the success of Stardogs is my knowledge in Veterinary Medicine and dog’s behavior. Parents feel ensured that their babies are in good hands, always supervised and kept healthy and safe.
Of course love for dogs and experience are essential characteristics for running a dog daycare.
Our approach is authentic Italian and we try to make Stardogs a unique place for customers and a second home for their dogs. Our promise is making parents and pups always happy and healthy, living their best experience. We put every day, all our love, experience, knowledge and passion to make this happen!
Contact Info:
- Address: 9065 Nemo St, West Hollywood, 90069, CA
- Website: https://www.stardogsclubhouse.com/
- Phone: (424) 245-4493
- Email: info@stardogsclubhouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stardogs_clubhouse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stardogs.clubhouse/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stardogs-clubhouse-west-hollywood
- Other: https://www.google.com/search?ei=VmM_XaeILcX6wAKe-LSICg&q=stardogs+clubhouse&oq=stardogs+clubhouse&gs_l=psy-ab.3..35i39.2599.6204..6453…0.0..0.528.3186.2-8j0j2j1……0….1..gws-wiz.i8jp96trIY8&ved=&uact=5#lrd=0x80c2bf2e8d0f0837:0x8bbb7474beb19967,1,,,
Image Credit:
Alessandro Bordoni
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