Key Biscayne Stories

Alejandro: 00:00

Welcome to another episode of Key Biscayne Stories where neighbors meet neighbors. Today we have Andy Garcia the third. He's KiwiScan resident for more than forty years. And right now he's offering a service to for KiwiScaners. It's a concierge dog care service, and which we're going to learn all about today.

Alejandro: 00:19

How are doing, Andy?

Andy: 00:20

I'm doing great. And you?

Alejandro: 00:21

Doing good. So tell us a little, how did this concierge doc care service start?

Andy: 00:29

Well, back in November, I had about I sort of stopped an industry that I had been in for over forty years. I've been in the produce industry for over forty years. And around February, I decided that, well, what do I wanna do with my life? Now that my produce career has finished and I'm still active, what do I wanna do with my life? And few people that I know that have known me for a long time, said, Andy, why don't you just do something with dog care?

Andy: 01:02

Because you're always had animals. You're great with animals. And so I started thinking, I started thinking about how it would be the best way for me to approach it and not sort of affect other people that are already doing it. Cause there's a few people that do it here on the Keebis game. So I started looking at my house, the size of my house, the size of my yard.

Andy: 01:24

And I started thinking, well, I raised two daughters in my house, so now I can just put dog care into my house, but keep it more of a concierge boutique type environment. And what I mean by that is that, you know, I will allow a pet to come into my home, and I interview a little bit, you know, before to make sure that everybody's comfortable, including the pet owner. And I bring them to my home, and they I introduce them to my dog who's Milano. He's a therapy dog, and he's welcomes the dog and bring it to my house. And and and that's how I started.

Andy: 02:06

And then I realized that I don't want to make it like a hotel and I don't want to make it like a daycare. I want to make it like you're coming. This pet is coming from their home to my home with little to no change. Actually, some people have told me that I spoil them a little bit too much, but I opened my home, and I opened my yard in my house here to, allow the dog to feel comfortable. And it's important to me that the people that leave their dog with me, that they're they're confident and comfortable with the environment.

Andy: 02:45

I don't have, my house, closed off in any way, it's free for them to come in and go out as they please. The most important thing is that I'm always with them. So to give you an example, I've had up to four dogs, which is pretty much the limit that I will have. And it's never really four dogs for x amount of time. It's usually can go from a two two dog, you know, slumber party to a three dog slumber party to a four dog and then back to a three because people travel at different times.

Andy: 03:22

People want me to care for their pets at different times. I have a a second bedroom downstairs that I kinda use as my base camp. So when I have dogs that, you know, the people most people say, well, my pet sleeps in my bed or my pet sleeps next to the bed or my pet sleeps in a cage. I make that room similar to what their sleeping pattern would be. And the reason why I do that is because for me.

Andy: 03:52

I don't have any problem putting a dog next to me in the bed. Matter of fact, I enjoy it. And it allows my wife who's very supportive of having the animals and everything to have her little space at night. You know, the only section of the house that I really don't like them to go up into would be into our master bedroom, but other than that, they are welcome to go around our house. We have it pet friendly, just like we had it kid friendly when we had kids.

Andy: 04:21

And that's kind of how I started. It's like most anything I've ever done. I kind of learned through trial and error. I haven't had many errors, but I've learned a lot of things, about it. One of the most important things is, you know, to to make sure that I send, each person that wants to use me as a for my service, I send them an agreement so that I can find out if they take any medicine or if they have a particular food preference or whatever, you know, so that the people all they just come with is what they want their pet to have while they're there.

Andy: 04:55

And for me, the most important thing is the right food. You know, I don't need bowls and plates and stuff like that. I have all that stuff, but it's important to keep a dog on their diet. And, basically, all we're do all I'm doing is just providing an a a safe place for them to to spend time.

Alejandro: 05:13

And you mentioned that you do four dogs, the the max. Correct. And I like that you are flexible to trying to, I guess, mimic what they experience at their homes with you. Correct. And that's part of the interview process that that you told us about.

Andy: 05:29

Basically, the most important thing is that when someone comes to my home, I always bring them in from the side of the house to the outside of the house because I have found that I've been around animals long enough that the best environment to introduce a new person is to bring them into a open environment where if I have two dogs currently staying with me, then I will bring them outside for five or ten minutes before the people come, and I will let them do what dogs do when they go outside, run around, play ball, whatever. And then I engage the person to come in with their dog and a lead to have them on a leash. And then I basically will see how the reaction is not so much with my dog because he's a therapy dog. So he gets along with all dogs, but he actually knows Milano. My dog actually knows when I'm bringing a new dog in, because I'll say, Hey, Milano, we have a new dog.

Andy: 06:26

And if I have a dog or two there, I always let them know. I said, look, guys, we have a dog coming in. And then I basically that's kind of like that. I don't want to say critical time, but that's the most important introduction is to bring a safe introduction. So I haven't had any situations where dogs have gotten in arguments or fights.

Andy: 06:46

Basically, a dog just wants to smell the other dog. They come in. They have a a big area to go, and they usually start running. They usually start, you know, going to the bathroom, you know, spotting their part of the yard that they wanna have. And then I spend about five or ten minutes or however long it takes to for them to feel comfortable.

Andy: 07:07

And then I introduce them into our home. And then when I introduce them into our home, then they're able to go into our what what I call my Florida room or the family room where we have our kitchen open and we have couches and chairs, and, you know, they come in and they immediately, they start looking around, going, you know, walking, feeling comfortable. And I always do that while the owner is with me. And so I'll introduce them to that. And then usually within the first couple of minutes, I'll know whether it's going to be successful or not.

Andy: 07:40

What I found is animals, most animals are open to the new idea. You just have to give them that time to familiarize themselves with the environment. I mean, I've had shy dogs by this first day or that night just roll over and lay on the couch with me. And the people like, well, my dog doesn't do that. And I said, well, he's doing that with me because I have that people call me on keep his cane.

Andy: 08:06

The dog whisper. I don't really know what that means, but I just know that ever since I've gone to the, you know, the dog parks or been around dogs, you know, I'm not, I'm not fearful of them. I respect their privacy, and I respect that they are animals, and you have to be very careful. But, you know, they're great animals. They're great.

Andy: 08:27

They're great to have around, and I needed something to fill a void that I had, and this was a perfect way to do it. It's just a service that I wanna provide to people, and I want them to enjoy it and come back. I've already had some repeat customers. The idea is not to make it just this big operation. I just wanna fill my time and provide a service to the people of Key Biscayne or if they have family off the key and they, you know, they wanna use my service, then, you know, we it's like, like, like, a case by case scenario.

Andy: 09:02

I I don't have any reason to say no to any particular dogs. You know, I have I have two cats in the house, and they're they're safe and separated from the rest of the house. And most of my dogs will smell them or sense they're around and have been fine. You know, they cats are cats are dog friendly. You know, it's it's just a I give everybody the the people that decide to consider using me, I I tell them pretty much that I have two cats, that I have the house open for them.

Andy: 09:37

I have the house secure for them on the inside and out. I have a big wall around my house. I have a a gates in front of my house. Everything is constantly closed. Me as a child, my first dog, I lost because he got out, and he got hit by a car.

Andy: 09:54

So my my recall and my thought process, whenever I think about dog, whether it's my dog or another dog, or I hear about a dog getting lost, it's not that they're going to run away is that they're going to get hit. So I'm very, very, conscious conscious of my home and it being there's no way they can get out. There's absolutely no way they can get out. And I have a swimming pool, so I always let people know I have a pool. Does your dog swim?

Andy: 10:23

Is your dog afraid of the pool? These are things that I I tell people. It's important because people have told me I have a dog that doesn't swim, and then I next thing you know, the dog's in the pool and wants to swim, and I have other people say I don't know. And so I kind of just play it. Just kind of see how they do.

Andy: 10:41

I don't force him in the pool or out of the pool, and I just have that option for him. So it's like, you know, a concierge boutique style life, you know. It's it's important that that you can travel. I know that me when I have dogs, especially when they get older, you know, if I want to go some places, well, what do I do with my dog? What do I do with my cat?

Andy: 11:06

You know? And so for me, was an easy transition to think, Okay, this is what I like. I'm good with people. I'm good with dogs. And let's just go and roll with it, and that's kind of how I just started the service, and I and I've enjoyed it quite a bit, to be honest with you.

Andy: 11:23

It brings me a lot of joy.

Alejandro: 11:25

What's the what's the best way for people to to work with you or to to know if you have availability?

Andy: 11:32

I have a flyer that that Karen Levinson made for me. She does a lot of flyers for people on Keebus game, and it's just basically has my phone number and my email address and a picture of me, my dog and me. And, you know, I I prefer somebody to to call me and say, hey. I'm you know, I'd love to consider, you know, I'd like to meet you and see see what you have to offer to me. I don't I don't ever like, if somebody sends me a message and says, I need to leave my dog on such and such a day, and how much do you charge?

Andy: 12:05

I typically will not respond to somebody like that right away. I will usually just say, well, when are you traveling, and when can you come by? Because it's not the fee that I charge or the service that I provide. It's I want them to be able to see what their dog is gonna experience. You know?

Andy: 12:26

To me, it's very important that they see that I'm, not a hotel. I'm not a a a nine to five operation. I'm a person that's gonna be with the dogs almost twenty four hours. And if I do have to leave my home to go to the grocery store or to go to the bank or something like that, I have a safe environment where I can put the dogs. I don't let them have free rein in my home if I have to step out.

Andy: 12:54

So, you know, they're they're safe in the big area, and they're safe in a more confined area if I have to leave. But most people that know me will or have seen my flyer, put it in next door. You're you're gonna put something now. You know? That's the best way to reach me is is to just call me or, you know, I'll share the flyer with you if you want.

Andy: 13:19

Then that's the best way to do it. And I don't travel very much. I'm pretty much a homebody, so You know, I I'm I'm the if I could have customers know that they can count on me during the not just the season, the peak times, you know, Thanksgiving and Christmas, but if they have somebody, they have somebody that they could bring their dog to on a daily basis. I have one dog that comes Mondays through Thursdays. She goes to university of Miami law school and she doesn't want to leave her dog in the house.

Andy: 13:54

So I have this dog. He comes in the morning and he stays until the evening. And then I have a few other dogs at the time. It could be three and a half dogs if you consider a day dog. So yeah, that's it's kind of like I'm still kind of just rolling with ideas.

Andy: 14:12

You know, the one thing I don't anticipate I will do is is make it a big business or anything like that. I want I want it to be manageable, that I can manage it and that the dogs are comfortable.

Alejandro: 14:25

So let's say I, you know, we, I meet you, I reach out, I meet you, I do the interview with my dog, we do the walkthrough, and then the next day I leave you the dog for a day because I'm traveling or whatever. How does a day in the life look like for me not?

Andy: 14:40

Well, typically the first, the first day, if it's one day or whether it's a couple of days is, you know, I bring the dog again. I introduce them out outdoors so that they can, you know, have some water and, you know, do what they have to do. And then, you know, usually like the next day I'm an early riser. So a lot of times when I get up early in the morning, I will get up like I like whether the dogs are awake or not, and I'll go make a cup of coffee. And usually the dogs will follow me.

Andy: 15:13

We go outside. We sit out in a beautiful early day, five, 05:30 in the morning, six in the morning. Dogs love to be out there at that time of the morning. I have landscaping lights and I have a pool light on and it's just a great time. And I will stay outside for a time and then usually I will go into their feeding schedule because my dog has to eat too.

Andy: 15:34

And my dog eats twice a day. So if their feeding schedule is a specific time, I try to get somewhere around that specific time. And one of the things that's the most important thing about when it's time to feed a dog is I have them separated. You know, I, I can tell right away some dogs could be the greatest dog in the world. When it comes to your food or a toy, that's why I don't recommend they bring toys to the house.

Andy: 16:01

Let them keep their own toys there. Let me use my toys is I always make sure that I'm in the area and separating dogs. If I have to put one dog in my utility room and let him eat first or her eat first, then that if that's the most aggressive dog, because I've had some that are aggressive about their food, then I will feed the more aggressive dog first, and then I will bring that dog and remove that dog from whoever other dog I need feed, whether it's my dog or whether it's two other dogs. I make sure that there's not my eyes are always fixated on that to me is the hardest part, and then I just go throughout my day. You know?

Andy: 16:38

If I have to do something outside, I like to spend a lot of time outside with the dogs, but obviously, in the summertime, that's less. It's usually early morning, and then a little bit during the day so they could go to the bathroom or whatever. I spend a lot of time inside. We watch TV. We hang out together.

Andy: 16:59

I like to brush dogs, so I'm recommending that people bring their dog's brush because every dog could have a specific brush. I like to brush the dogs. I think it's important. You know, most dogs only twice a day, so I'll feed them in the morning and I'll feed them at night. You know?

Andy: 17:16

Some some dogs I'll take to the park. If I have two dogs and, you know, they wanna go to the park, I'll take them to the park. But I've found that most dogs, when they come to my house, there could be a dog from an apartment or a small home. So they just love the freedom of being in a yard. So it's not necessary to take them to the park.

Andy: 17:34

I'm not a big fan of taking somebody else's dog to the park, but if they say specifically, hey. I have a dog right now where he his dog likes to go to the park, so I'll take his dog to the park. But I'm not a big fan of taking somebody else's dog to the park because, again, I'm always thinking what could happen that wouldn't be favorable, a bite, a mosquito. You know? They get out.

Andy: 17:58

You know? There's these I'm always thinking the side of conservative precaution. So that's incorporated in my day. And I'm an early I'm an early go to sleep guy, so by nine or 09:30, excuse me. You know?

Andy: 18:12

The other last week, had four dogs. They were all in the bed with me, sleeping. I was watching television. After a little while, we do one more quick run outside, see if they have to go to the bathroom or anything, come back in, turn everything off, go to sleep, get up the next day, and do what we gotta do. Awesome.

Andy: 18:33

Yeah. It's great. I love it.

Alejandro: 18:36

In our brainstorming session, you mentioned there's an agreement you have with your with your guest owners about, you know, how things go and stuff. Can you share a little bit more about that?

Andy: 18:45

Absolutely. It's important to me and to whoever wants me to care for their pet that I am doing my due diligence. And what I mean by that is that I always wanna know, that the agreement is basically, information that I need about their dog and about their travel so that at least I have something to refer back to. You know, a lot of the information that is on there is basically feeding schedule, type of food, any medications, anything like that. I also put on that agreement that, you know, I need their veterinary documents to be updated and also, you know, including a flea and tick and, you know, other, things that are important that the dogs are are taking so that there's no transmitting of fleas or, you know, somebody gets injured or something, you know, that their vet records are up to date.

Andy: 19:40

That's that's very important. I also ask for the name of their vet and and and to let their vet know that I'm in that that that dog is in my care so that if something were to happen. I can be able to reach out to that vet, which I would do either way. You know, to to make sure that the dog's cared for. You you never need that information until you need it.

Andy: 20:04

And, know, when you're dealing with with animals, whether it's, I think cats might be worse than dogs, but you know, when you're dealing with. A couple of pets together, you know. Something could happen, so I want to be able to have a reference that I could go to and not be scrambling like I gotta call them or something like that. You know, I have it there, you know, and then at the at the end of the agreement, put. A little disclaimer, you know, so that they know I'm going to do everything that I can in my power to make sure that their dog is safe and cared for, and then I have a little place where they can sign and I can sign so that it's just they they know that that I'm interested in that information so that that part is out of the way.

Andy: 20:49

It's I bring it. I have a book. I file it in a book. And then when the dog is getting ready to come, because I have people that have booked for the rest throughout the rest of the year, I go back, and I load, okay. What's his feeding schedule?

Andy: 21:01

You know? What's his breed? What's his race? It just gives me something to refer back to so that I'm not scrambling. I have an idea of everything before they get there.

Andy: 21:10

That's important to me.

Alejandro: 21:11

Yeah. And it makes sense, and it's it's it formalizes the process as well. It's yeah, it's very professional to do so as well. Yeah. Hey, I really want to ask about Milano.

Alejandro: 21:22

You mentioned he's a therapy dog at the beginning. Correct. And can you tell us more about that? So therapy for others, of course, as you mentioned before. Correct.

Alejandro: 21:31

Do you take him to do? How does that look like?

Andy: 21:34

Well, basically what happened was when I finished my produce career back in November, we adopted Milano. He's a spaniel King Charles Cavalier. He's a tremendous breed. I've never had a pure breed dog before. So I just had this, this Vision of when I used to go to travel a lot and I'd see these therapy dogs in the in the airport.

Andy: 21:59

So I started doing my research and I started looking around and I found a company called the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which is a registered one of the older, therapy dog, nonprofit, places I could go. And I asked them for the process. And so basically Milano went through a series of evaluations to basically make sure that he's good around other dogs and good around people. And it's a, not a difficult certification to get, but it's something that you have to, he has to earn. And and the reason why I wanted to do that was because he's such a great dog, and I think all dogs are great.

Andy: 22:40

It doesn't matter the breed. Some dogs are meant to be giving, therapy to others. Some dogs just give us therapy. You know? So I started doing it, and I went down to a couple of assisted living facilities down in Cutler Bay, where I did where he was evaluated.

Andy: 22:59

And then once he passed his three and four evaluations, he was given a I was able to register him as a therapy dog. And then I, my next question was now what do I do? So I reached out to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and I said, look, I'm in Miami and you know, now what? And I started getting calls from a company association called heal, heal to heal. They're the people that go into the airport and do therapy stuff in the airport.

Andy: 23:29

Have south Miami hospital calling me to, to meet with Milano. I go every, I go once a month to the coconut grove library and I spent an hour it's called furry tales. They were the kids sit down and read to Milano. And then I also have gone to the University of Miami to spend time on the campus with our dogs, and it's not just me. It's usually a group of dogs.

Andy: 23:56

And just last week, went to Coral Gables High School and hung out at the lunch hour with the with the young adults. I guess we should call them right high school young adults. And it brings me a lot of joy to to provide that service because I know me as a person that. Always had a the dogs always had a calming effect. You know?

Andy: 24:20

I mean, I'm a very, like, high high maintenance guy. You know? I basically like the Energizer bunny, you know? I mean, I go hard. My batteries wear out, and I fall asleep early, but I'm going hard.

Andy: 24:32

I'm not a sit around kind of person at my age. You'd think I'd be doing something else, but I like to be active. I like to be providing that service, so it's it's been great. I mean, I've been doing it. I think now for about eight months or something.

Andy: 24:49

I think he got certified in May or June, and I have a lot of things coming up next week. Get to go to take them to a school that is maybe children that have a lot, don't have parents, you know, or almost like a. They they they are in need of some some some some love from a pet, you know? So I just look at the events as they come up because now it's a lot of people are reaching out to me and I say, Okay. I have my there.

Andy: 25:19

You know, I have my concierge business, so that's like my priority, but a close second is to stay active in this volunteer work with my dog so that he can, you know, get out of the house. He needs a break too from the dogs and get out of the house and go spend time. And you know the people are. I mean, this is the dog is has nothing to do with me. Milano's therapy skills.

Andy: 25:43

He's just that's just the breed. He's just a gentle dog that loves the the human interaction, whether it's an elderly person or whether it's a young child. Baby was walking up to him yesterday and just sat there. You know? He's very his breed is is wonderful for that.

Andy: 26:04

So I've been fortunate. Out of all the dogs I've had, I finally now have one that I can actually provide a serve provide a a service to whomever needs it in the therapy world. It's a labor of love. And it's it's it's keeping me from just basically missing my the industry that I've been in for so long because you know that that that kind of stopped in November and and I missed the mentoring side of that industry. So this is kind of a healthy replacement to that.

Andy: 26:39

I mean, that's basically why I'm doing it, and it filled the void, you know.

Alejandro: 26:44

Did you say forty years in the in the produce?

Andy: 26:46

Over forty years in the produce industry. Yeah. Okay. In sales. Yeah.

Andy: 26:50

Yeah.

Alejandro: 26:52

I mean, it's a great replacement to do forty years in the in the produce industry and then now. Dedicating. I guess your your your free time to the fashion of yours too. Yes. Take care of dogs.

Andy: 27:06

I've always been the kind of person and and and I always group everything and let me like what I'm doing with my dog care service. Is is. A lot how I manage my customers in the produce industry. You know, I'm not a one one sale, one person, one dog person. I would rather have.

Andy: 27:33

Less dogs or a manageable amount of pets in my home often. Like, the important thing to me is, hey. You wanna take off for a weekend or you wanna go away? Not just in the holidays and stuff when it's busy is, hey, maybe I wanna take three or four days and go away, or maybe I just want three or four days break with my dog. I have people coming in.

Andy: 27:58

You know, these are the customers that I want. I want repeat customers. I want repeat dogs because as I get to know the dogs more and more and more, then maybe I can do a little camp here and there, you know, and bring six or seven dogs for two hours. You know? See, I can do that in my in my home.

Andy: 28:19

That's not something that I wanna do for consecutive days. So I could expand it a little bit, you know, as I get to know the dogs, like, already know dogs that are coming that I've had before, That'll be fine with another dog. But before I meet that first dog for the first time, if I have another dog, I'm like radar careful. Because I don't want anything to happen. I don't want a dog to get bit.

Andy: 28:45

You know, I don't want to have the people freak out, you know, because we love our animals. You know, we don't want anything to happen to them. So I'm like, well, I never completely feel comfortable when I have repeat dogs, but I know their DNA a lot better each time they come.

Alejandro: 29:00

So the service that you provide, is it it's what can we, is it a year round thing? Is it seasonal? What, what are you, what are we looking at?

Andy: 29:08

Well, when I, when I decided to provide this service to the people of Key Biscayne, you know, it's, it's like my job, you know, I I guess you could say I'm in another career now. And my career is to be a concierge boutique type person that will welcome your dog. And the idea is to have customers come once and to come again and to come again. It's common knowledge in this in this industry that people get real busy November and December the holidays, and then sometimes they they don't. I want people to know that they can I can provide this service if they wanna take a long weekend or take a few days or whatever?

Andy: 29:50

You know, the more I get to know the pet, the more fun it is. You know, it just makes it more enjoyable. And I would not rule out down the road because relatively something new for me over the last six months is that, you know, maybe down the road, I have a little, I offer a little day camp, you know, in my home where I can bring five, six, seven, eight dogs and let them jump in the pool. Maybe I'll do a pool day, and maybe I'll do a non pool day, you know, because some dogs swim, some dogs don't, you know, and do it for two, three hours. You know?

Andy: 30:24

Something that's manageable where I'm gonna be there the whole time, much like I am when I'm with them in a twenty four hour period.

Alejandro: 30:33

Andy, before we before we close, we have a couple of closing questions here in in Key West Gain stories. What is your favorite weekend look like for you in the key?

Andy: 30:43

Well, my favorite weekend is a. I don't get in my car if I don't have to. Because you know I've driven a lot over the years in my in my career. B, I enjoy being by the water or in the water, whether it's going to the beach club or whether it's going down to the lighthouse. You know, I like, I like to hang out at home.

Andy: 31:08

I like to go to the park and dog park and earlier on it was kid park. The kids take my kids to park. So weekend for me is just basically to spend time on Key Biscayne. Try to get close to the water. I mean, I I love the water.

Andy: 31:25

That's why I'm not a fan of seaweed season because that affects my ocean time. Love to spend time in my pool. Love to have a dinner with my wife, maybe support another restaurant, one of the restaurants here that we go to. You know, just kinda stay in the area of of Kiwis King.

Alejandro: 31:47

Andy, thank you so much for joining us on the show and telling us a little bit about you, little bit about what you're doing, and and your story with your service, and and thank you for providing service. We're using your time to to do this to to help, you know, your neighbors. But it was great to meet you. Thank you for coming on the show.

Andy: 32:04

Thank you for having me.