He predicted that the use of technology in veterinary practices would continue to grow, as younger veterinarians entered the profession and the range of technologies expanded.
Yet technology has barely affected some aspects of the pet-care industry.
Eight years ago, Deanna Greenwood left a fashion industry job to spend more time at home with her ailing husband. When a favor for an Upper West Side neighbor — walking a boxer named Sugar Rae — turned into a job offer, Ms. Greenwood recalled, “I thought, ‘that’s an interesting idea.’”
After her husband, Jay Martin, died in 2015, Ms. Greenwood grew the business — mostly through word of mouth. Before the pandemic, she had about 10 regular clients, whom she typically charged from $20 to $35 per hour, for walks five days a week.
The pandemic brought that to a near stop. “Most of my clients have second homes, and they fled the city,” she said. “In an instant, about 80 percent of my business went away.”
She survived by doing other kinds of errands for her clients.
Some of those clients have returned, and new ones emerged with the increase of the puppy population. But while the dogs and their owners have changed, Ms. Greenwood, has seen little alteration in the way she does business. “Technology is almost irrelevant to what I do,” she said.
Not so for Mr. Bennett, the dog trainer.
While he hopes to return to New York City, at least periodically, he envisions the future as a combination of Zoom and in-person sessions.
For his training techniques designed to socialize puppies and adjust canine behavior, there’s still no substitute for face-to-snout. “We have to be present to implement these methods,” he said.
Which is why he cannot entirely take Brooklyn’s Finest Dog Training out of Brooklyn.
