A Stronger Pack!

Hello Humans & Fur Kids! We are all experiencing difficult times at the present. Some of us have lost our jobs, others have never been able to sit at home more than for a Sunday hangover. We are all going stir crazy and the not knowing when this will all end is very frustrating. Home Treat Home understands your frustration. We want to help! We are keeping our business up and running to help everyone out. Luckily, this virus does not affect our fur kids and our walkers don’t interact with other humans. HTH is taking the necessary precautions to avoid catching and spreading the virus. We are communicating via text and email and are staying at home when we aren’t walking dogs. We are wearing gloves, washing our hands, using hand sanitizer, and not using public transit.

We want to make it very clear that we are staying open because it is important that people on the front line and essential businesses can rely on us. Also, you get busy working from home and we know that work can take you away from giving your angel biscuit the attention they deserve. You all have come to rely on the excellent customer service we provide and we promise to continue meeting your expectations. HTH is here to stay. Now and tomorrow.

Like all small businesses, we are feeling the effects massively from this virus. We only have about 10% of our clients still using us for walks. We have no sitting gigs until June. HTH is committed to keeping our current walkers. They know your fur kids and they have built trust with you. If you would like to continue to support Home Treat Home during this time, please persist to pay for your weekly walks. By no means is that expected. We would greatly appreciate whatever is possible for you and your favorite walker can continue receiving their weekly income. We will all get through this and become a stronger pack because of it. Thank you so much for using our services. It means the world to us. Be well and stay healthy!

The Altgeld Girls

"We know how to sit, shake, and look super cute."

Hello all! Josh here with a post about some of the dogs on my daily route. In fact, you may already know them. If you've ever liked a photo on Home Treat Home's Instagram page, chances are it was of one of the Altgeld Girls: Grace, the white golden retriever; Bernie, the doodle; and Daisy, a golden retriever. I've been walking these gal pals for years. They are like the kids from, "Stranger Things," except we've never been to the upside-down world and I am okay with that. Neighborhood friends who grew up together on the same cul-de-sac. Which happens to be Altgeld Ave in Lincoln Park. These ladies are well-behaved and a joy to be around. They never fight with eachother and are always guarding their turf. Let me tell you a little about each of them and I am sure you'll fall in love with them too.

Bernie Girl is a doodle like no other. She is a human stuck in a dog's body. I've been walking Bernie for about two years now and she has become a best friend. She is always down to hang out and she always greets me with her tail wagging, paws jumpin', and a smile on her face. She looks straight into my eyes to communicate her love and affection for me. She can be cautious of strangers, but is always curious about them. Usually after they have passed her and she comes from behind to sniff their bums. She is very good at startling others and being startled herself. At the end of our walks, she always tries to race me back into the apartment, even though she can't get in without me. It's so adorable. Bernie is the sugar in my morning coffee and I need her to get through my day. 

This is Gracie Girl, aka Grace Nacho. Grace Nacho is an original club kid. Me and this home girl have been hanging out for three years now and we treat each other like uncle and niece. When I walk through the front door, she is always waiting at the top of the stairs with a toy to give me. She is my princess. She's bossy, caring, and loveable. Grace and I are so close that we even exchange gifts on our birthdays. I don't even do that with my human friends. One thing is definitely true about Grace, she's got my back. 

Daisy is the life of the party. She is mostly a guest star in the smash hit sitcom that is The Altgeld Girls, but lives on the same block as Bernie and Grace. Daisy is such a ham. She loves attention and is great at getting everyone worked up on the walks. Her and Grace are best friends in the purest sense of the word. They live to see each other. My favorite thing is to watch her and Gracie play a little game I've dubbed Snow Dolphin. Snow Dolphin is a great game—mostly played by dogs but could be extended to particulary flexible (and perhaps, strange) children— where one acts as if one is a dolphin swimming through deep snow instead of a large body of water. It is a must see. If you have the means, I highly recommend taking in a show.

You might even recognize them from the above Home Treat Home logo picture. Who are we kidding, of course you do, these gals are A-listers. If you are ever in Lincoln Park and run into one of these famed Girls of Altgeld, make sure to say, "HEY, GIRL, HEY!" in your best high-pitched lilt. I am sure they will greet you with ear-to-ear smiles, open paws, and some sloppy kisses. However, they have been known to throw some INTENSE CANINE SHADE from time to time, so prepare accordingly. 

Josh

Loss of A BF

Farley in Chase Park. Ravenswood, Chicago

My best friend, Farley, was such a positive role model for me. He showed me trust and unconditional love. I will miss his whimper and tail wagging when he sees me arriving through the window. The greeting that one always hopes to receive when entering a friend's home. Our playtime in the park, where I could let him off lead to play and I knew he could be trusted, until he ran into the mud pit and wiggled like a pig in it. I'll never forget that. I will miss his run. His goofy, always made me smile, run. Playing fetch with him was a complete thrill. He always brought the ball back and would drop it at my feet. "Yes! Good Boy! You're such a good boy." I would repeat to him. At the end of all our walks, I would take a minute to pet and cuddle with him. It always calmed me. Farley was an angel in life. He will be missed and I will always have a place in my heart for him. R.I.P. My BF.