Houla Houla Hop was founded in 1999 by Nora and Emily Jacobson, two sisters from Pictou County Nova Scotia. They started out on foot and on bike, servicing doggies and kitties in the Plateau area. The business quickly expanded, until before they knew it they had clients all over the Plateau, NDG, Westmount and Outremont. The bikes were cast aside, employees were hired on, and the Houla Houla Hop team was on its way!

In 2005, Nora and Emily began plans to leave the business. They had been thinking about it for some time as they were both ready to move on to growing families and new adventures. They brought up the opportunity to one of the employees, Julie Briggs, who jumped at the chance. In 2006 Houla Houla Hop was officially passed on to her, and while she has goals of expanding, the heart of the business will always remain the same - providing quality, professional care to each and every animal.

Today Houla Houla Hop is a small and growing team of animal lovers taking care of over 30 cats and dogs each day. The following are profiles of the current team of "Houla Hoppers". For more photos of them and their furry friends, check out the photo gallery.

Julie Briggs - Team Member & Owner

Julie became the owner of Houla Houla Hop in 2006, but her experience with animals dates back much further. She grew up in and around Moncton, NB, and always had dogs and cats as pets throughout her childhood. She currently lives with her doggie, Charlie (a Basset Hound), her two cats, Simon and Osha, and her husband Eric. 

A summer evening at the top of Mount Royal with Gabby & Charlie! (taken in 2006 - sadly Gabby is no longer with us)

Danielle Tetrault - Team Member

Danielle is a life-long animal lover from outside of Toronto, and currently works as our weekend warrior.  She grew up with lots of kitties, German Shepherds and Border Collies so she knows how much doggies need their exercise!  She currently is the proud owner of two pups:  Bo, a Boston Terrier, and Lulu, an Italian Greyhound rescue.  Danielle is a student at Dawson College, studying nursing, and in her spare time loves to bike, rollerblade and run - with Bo and Lulu in tow, of course!   Her energy, athleticism, and knowledge of animals and their behaviors are all great assets to our team!

  

Katie Hanvey - Team Member

Katie comes from Chelsea, QC and grew up around lots of dogs and cats alike.  She is our permanent group walker, so she spends her days playing and chasing with all the pups we bring up on Mont Royal.  Katie has great instincts about dogs and their behaviors, and even though she has a soft spot for them, she is definitely no push-over!!!

Katie spends her free time working on a Psychology degree, and she is also an avid drummer.  She currently shares her living space with her boyfriend Kieran, and their newest addition, Jacko, a little male kitty that they found and adopted thanks to Danielle!


                                                  Photo Coming Soon!!!

Margot Hayes  - Team Member  

Houla Houla Hop feels very lucky to have found Margot.  She comes from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and has extensive background around all types of animals including dogs, cats, and even hedgehogs!  Margot is also passionate about horseback riding and worked for over 4 years in a barn learning not only the value of hard work, but also loads of animal behavior and training techniques that apply to all creatures big and small.  She has a great intuition with our four-legged friends, and has quickly become an invaluable member of the team.  

Photo Coming Soon!!!

Houla Houla Hop:

• is bonded and insured
• has good, solid references
• offers a free consultation to meet the pet and to get detailed information
• is a small team (one owner/walker and three sitters/walkers) who work closely together to ensure excellent service
• has a veterinarian on call for emergency service
• is always seeking ongoing training and education (dog behavior, cat care, animal first-aid, etc.) for its team
• ensures that the dogs walked together are all sociable and safe
• provides detailed reports on the animal's health and well-being while in our custody
• always has tons of doggy bags - we believe in clean parks!
• conducts regular quality control checks and is constantly seeking feedback from clients to better its service
• is 100% reliable, professional, and honest
• has the capability to handle bad weather, sick days, etc.
• is a member of All Canadian Pet Services Network (ACPSN)
• is committed to making pets happy

Testimonials

Valerie (Puck, Tiger, Jazz, and Bear): "I cannot tell you how wonderful it is having your fantastic pet care business alive and well in the world. It makes our trips so much less stressful - in preparation - and while we're gone. Thank you!

Carole and Guy (Tracy): "Every morning, instead of feeling guilty and sad for leaving Tracy behind, we felt good to know that Houla Houla Hop would come by later on to take care of our sweetheart. Every night, we would return to a cheerful and affectionate dog, knowing somehow that we owed part of this happiness to our devoted dog walkers from Houla Houla Hop.

Laura and Frances (Elfie): "… she enjoyed your visits, and we very much appreciated the care and affection you gave her. You got to know her in the final year of a very full life - thank you for your patience and kindness with her."

Rosanna (Monte): "Monte not only lost four pounds in the first winter of being walked, he is much more calm around other dogs, which makes me feel much more relaxed when I take him out."

Kathleen (Amaruq): "With a Canadian Eskimo Dog (Quinmiq) in the city, dog-walking (running) services are a godsend, if not a must. It's impossible to tire these guys out. Houla Houla Hop has enhanced my dog's quality of life and prevented human collapse from total exhaustion."

Joseé (Nougat): "I have great trust in Houla Houla Hop. They are reliable and always there when I need them. Nougat likes them a lot and is more relaxed on the days when they come. We also appreciate having dog walking services on the weekend!"