Today we’d like to introduce you to Willie Blue II.
Hi Willie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Dabba Company started in 2018 with a hope and a prayer. I was originally a music major attending Appalachian State University. But I always felt like I was destined to do more. I recently adopted a pit bull named Migo and fell in love with him. I became obsessed with his health, training, and everything else about him. So much so that I began looking for vet assistant jobs and ended up at Fuquay Veterinary Hospital. I worked as a small-animal vet assistant for 10 years, and I began to want something new and motivating. So I transferred over to NC State and began working with large animals. So I was working on goats, cows, horses, llamas, etc. Then one day, someone from the rehab department (which I didn’t know existed) asked me to come and hold a dog for acupuncture (also didn’t know it was a thing). I immediately fell in love and immersed myself in the world of animal rehab. I immediately turned in my transfer papers to officially join the rehab team and began studying under Dr. Corey Sims. After a few years at NC State, I had an offer to run a rehab department for a local vet clinic. It was here that clients told me they love rehab, but getting back and forth was inconvenient. So I had the Idea to bring rehab to them. I started seeing clients with my pickup truck for in-house therapy. Then I had another idea. I got a 26-ft box truck and customized it into a mobile gym. It has turf, air conditioning, a treadmill, and huge windows so you could watch us work. After a while, my mobile gym schedule became too demanding, so I switched to a hybrid model, offering both mobile and in-clinic sessions. Currently, the Dabba Company has grown, and we now offer more services and are in the process of moving to a larger space. We are now also one of the leading companies in pet CPR and first-aid certification.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The hardest thing was getting people to trust an African American male doing pet rehab. Unfortunately, not a lot of workers in the vet industry are African American, so it makes it hard. Getting funding for a small non-niche business was also a problem that I had and am still dealing with. Juggling a small business while finishing up my degree was also a challenging season for me. As we know, running a small business is never gonna be completely smooth. Every day presents new challenges that we have to overcome to continue doing what we love.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Dabba Company?
The Dabba Company specializes in Pet health and wellness. We focus on injury recovery fitness (rehab) and general fitness. On the fitness side of the business, we provide pre- and post-surgical fitness, general fitness, senior fitness, puppy fitness, and more. On the wellness side, we provide puppy training, first-time owner training, and kids’ puppy training. and Pet CPR and First Aid certification.
What sets us apart from others is the complete care we give to our clients. and also the services we provide. We pride ourselves on really getting to know the family and the patient because it gives us the whole story.
I’m most proud of the reputation we have garnered. We are recommended by some of the top vets in the area. We always put our patients first. We haven’t done any fancy marketing, just word of mouth from happy clients.
I want readers to know how passionate I am about animal health and wellness. I want people to know I genuinely care about your pet and want to help provide them with the best life possible. Whether that is through fitness training or training the owners to be better pet parents.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
This job isn’t all glitz and glamour; it’s hard work and deep connections with pets. You do lose some pets, unfortunately, especially my senior pups. but it gives me peace and satisfaction that i got to help them have fun and keep moving untill ther last days.
Pricing:
- Fitness Pricing varies upon exams
- CPR and First aid classes = $110 for 5hr course , you get 2yr certifications and take home material.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Thedabbalife.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedabbalife
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18y5q252c2/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williebluethedabbalife
