Community Highlights: Meet Daryana Cowie of Daryana’s Backyard

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Daryana Cowie.

Hi Daryana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

It all started as a hobby and focused on friends and family 10 years ago. After boarding our own dog in a traditional kennel facility, he came back very stressed, with visible signs of anxiety, paws, and tail chewed to blood. We realized that offering a loving environment in a more natural setting, with plenty of opportunities to exercise would lead to a much less stressful experience for the dogs.

From then on this has been our model, to treat any dog boarding with us as our own. Daryana spent a great deal of time training and studying to gain the knowledge and as many certifications as possible to ensure the dogs receive world-class care. What started as a very local business serving a handful of clients in Highlands Ranch has grown to several hundred across the South and South East metro area.

As word spread and we have attracted countless positive reviews, we grew to the point we are today with most of our clients being repeat customers with many dogs we’ve known since they were puppies. We are very proud of the fact that our business model has won us Pet Sitter of the Year in Centennial Award in 2022. Since then, Graeme left his corporate job and both he and Daryana spend 100% of their time focused on Daryana’s Backyard.

As time progressed, additional services were offered, including grooming, basic training, nature walks, along with a pet taxi and our Denver International Airport Luxury Limousine car service where Graeme drives the client and the dog to the airport, drops the client off and brings the dog back to Daryana’s Backyard.

Upon the client’s arrival back in DIA, they are thrilled to see their beloved pet for the ride home. Our busy clients find this saves them time and solves a logistical challenge – one less thing to worry about.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Running a small business is both rewarding and challenging. Finding the right balance between being as flexible as possible and being able to find a little downtime took some time and experience. An obvious but important point is that it’s impossible to be in two places at the same time and last-minute changes cannot always be accommodated. Our repeat customers appreciate that booking far in advance ensures that no one is disappointed.

The Covid pandemic presented a unique challenge for both Daryana’s Backyard and the clients. It also brought us clients who were suddenly working from home and looking for some peace and quiet and to have their dogs experience some socializing and exercise while they were on their Zoom calls or Teams meetings. Dayana’s Backyard responded by adding work-week daycare services which continue to this day.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Daryana’s Backyard Ltd.?

We specialize in offering a home-away-from-home dog care experience. What sets us apart from other dog boarding and kennel facilities is multi-faceted. Unlike many other establishments, Daryana’s Backyard is a family-owned and operated dog border with the dogs and owners seeing the same faces year after year.

We offer a natural environment with play and exercise areas consisting of a combination of grass and mulch with plenty of shade. Additionally, we are present overnight when dogs are in our care. Our clients really like our optional pickup and drop-off service and everyone who has tried our convenient Denver International Airport luxury limousine service loves to spend extra time with their beloved pet while traveling in style. We call this service “Bark and Ride” which also brings a smile to our clients faces.

We also don’t believe in nickel and diming. Our prices include medication administration, unlimited outdoor playtime, socialization, treats, and cuddle time, with no upcharge for holidays, extended stays, large breeds, or special needs.

When it comes to deciding who to care for your beloved dog while you are away – trust is paramount. Many of our long-term clients trust us to pick up or drop off their dogs even when they’re not home with garage codes or house keys exchanged. We use our private Facebook group to give frequent updates on what the dogs are doing.

Whether your preferred communication method is text, email, phone call, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Skype, or Twitter, we’ve got you covered. Our clients love to give us awesome 5-star reviews with the majority of our new clients coming from personal referrals or word-of-mouth shoutouts.

Our logo is “The Pawsome Place for Dogs” Our DIA luxury SUV has the PAWSOME license plate and our phone number is (303) PAWSOME (729-7663). Our website www.daryanasbackyard.com has a host of additional information as well as FAQs, and comprehensive policies. The website also has an in-memorial section fondly remembering all the dogs who stayed with us and who have sadly passed away.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?

We’re always looking for collaboration opportunities with related service specialists that benefit both parties and our client base.

Examples would include dog walkers, veterinarians, trainers, groomers, dieticians, basically tangential service providers who we can build a relationship with and feel comfortable recommending. The best way to support Daryana’s Backyard is to try us and experience the difference that comes with forging lasting connections with both our dog clients and their owners.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daryanasbackyard.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/daryanasbackyard
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/daryanasbackyard/
• Twitter: @DaryanaBackyard

Image Credits
Jolie Rodriguez Photography