A ruff ride: UNB student opens dog taxi in Fredericton
Business student opens pet taxi service as alternative to conventional summer job
As Daniel Tichonov taxis pets around Fredericton, he remembers when his family left Israel to build a new home in the New Brunswick capital.
The city never completely felt like home, Tichonov says, until Skya came into the picture, with her big brown eyes and thick coat.
Skya is Tichonov's five-year-old black and white Siberian husky.
Gets them there
"I come to people's houses, I pick up their pet and drive it safely to the destination the owners want," said the young entrepreneur, who came to Canada when he was 14 and is now a third-year business student at University of New Brunswick Fredericton.
"At the end of the day, I come to the same destination, pick them up and drop them off back home safely."
Besides transportation, Pets2Go Taxi also offers to walk pets.
With the province's unemployment rate around 17 per cent for people 15 to 24 years old, according to Statistics Canada, many New Brunswick students have decided they'd rather create their own employment than apply for jobs and possibly not get one.
Welcomes initiative
This sign of early commitment to New Brunswick is just what the province needs for job creation, according to Melissa O'Rourke, program designer and co-ordinator at the J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship.
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Tichonov's family opened the Lovely Doggy House boarding and grooming business in Fredericton five years ago. Now, the 22-year-old is carrying on the entrepreneurial spirit with Pets2Go Taxi.
At first, the taxi service was just an idea for a business course project, but it became a full-time reality two months ago when Tichonov got a loan from the bank to buy a van and equip it with cages for pets.
He believes Pets2Go Taxi is a great idea for Fredericton because of the many seniors and students in the city who have health conditions or little time to drive or walk their pets.
Frees pet owners of worry
"It can be peace of mind for students to know somebody can take care of their pets."
The starting rate for one-way transportation is $20.
Every day, the dog lover drives one or two pets to the vet, a daycare, the airport or wherever owners need them to be. But Tichonov expects the number will increase soon, since people around Fredericton are already calling to inquire about the taxi service.
When the number of pets he drives per day increases to more than five, he will hire a full-time worker, and he hopes to expand eventually throughout the Maritimes.
Requires sacrifice
Tichonov, who has only two classes to complete before graduation, will continue with his business when school starts.
"The hardest part is to keep getting good marks," he said. "You just have to sacrifice some of the fun and TV time."
Tichonov advises students to be creative and self-motivated but cautioned that opening a business is not for everyone.
"Not everyone has the wheel of desire to start on their own," he said. "But for those who are entrepreneurial-minded, I strongly recommend to want it more than they fear it."
