Delayna Long has a welcoming presence and a “can-do” attitude that feels infectious. This woman gets things done. She is a Cape Cod native who grew up in Sandwich with her parents and brother. She now lives in Marstons Mills. Long’s upbeat personality and ambition aided her in starting her own business, Furr Babyz Pet Care, a pet care company operating out of Sandwich.

Furr Babyz Pet Care is a pet care company that offers daily walks and drop-ins during the day to pet owners. She walks the Furr Babyz around Barnstable villages and goes as far as Hyannis. She recently expanded her business to add her first employee, who services the areas of Hyannis to Brewster.

Long has roots in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, England, Scotland, and Lebanon. Adopted at one-year-old by close family members, she had an uphill battle from the get-go. She was a premature baby weighing in at two pounds. Doctors placed her in an incubator, watching her closely. Baby Long was in such bad shape that doctors didn’t think she would grow to walk or talk but, “I proved them all wrong,” Long said.

Growing up her mother was a hair stylist who formed a hairdressing business out of her home called Kim’s Kutting Korner. “She was able to care for us and work and that was awesome,” she said. Her father is a small business owner as well, he owns a small auto shop business in Sandwich. It’s safe to say that entrepreneurship is in her blood.

Long doesn’t just own Furr Babyz, she’s also a singer! She sang solo gigs up until this past summer when she joined a band called The Collective. The band sings a variety of songs from the 80s to now. She grew up singing in church, finding a love for it when she first heard Part of Your World from the Little Mermaid. “I wanted to sing like Ariel,” she said.

She grew up in a household where owning a small business was the norm. When she started her dog-walking business, she had little qualms about building something from scratch.

Amplify spoke with Long in person in the Cape Cod Community College’s cafeteria.

Amplify: What inspired you to get into this business?

Long: It all started when I rescued a duck. “I rescued a duck that got hit by a car. I was driving home from work and he was floundering around the road. I pulled the car over, and dropped my phone in the road without realizing it, trying to save this duck that’s over in the pond,”

I managed to get the duck in my car but accidentally ran over her phone. Luckily, my device made it through the attempted vehicular phonicide. “I bring the duck to my house, I’m calling every vet place like, this poor duck got hit by a car,” I ended up going to the Brewster Veterinary Hospital. “I brought him up there to one of the wildlife places, and he was ok, he made it,” she said. After that experience, I realized that I’ve always loved animals but I’ve always worked with kids.

I have always wanted to work with animals but I got my Associates degree in Early Childhood Education. After a few years of teaching in preschools in Sandwich and Hyannis. It was probably 2007 when I said you know what, I like working with the kids but I’ve done this forever and I really want to work with animals. I began working at the Animal Inn in Sandwich, where I got my initial start. I got an opportunity through an old friend to be hands-on with that vet hospital. At the end of the shift the Vet said, if you want the job, we’ll train you. That’s how I got my foot in the door.

I ended up working there for four years as a receptionist. They needed a receptionist so I would do a little teching, I would do a little assisting with the doctor but mostly I was up front. I loved it because it allowed me to talk to the clients and connect with them about life and their animals. I made a lot of friends and clients that way.

Amplify: What steps did you take to get your business started?

Long: “My first step was to make business cards, then I had to go to the town [Sandwich] and I had to get registered and all that.” There was a bit of a paperwork process to get my business license. I’m first aid CPR certified for pets, and part of Pet Sitters International, an educational association for professional pet sitters that offers online courses, webinars, and an online pet community.”

I didn’t have to get a business loan or anything like that. My car is my place of business, it takes me where I need to go. Keeping my car clean is a routine upkeep, there are dog cookies everywhere.

Amplify: What struggles did you face when starting your business?

Long: When I started my business it was pretty smooth sailing from the get-go, there weren’t many obstacles in my way except for the elephant in the room, Covid-19. “When Covid hit there was absolutely no work, nobody’s paying me. I remember walking around my house like a zombie for the first week, trying to figure out how I was going to pay bills. I didn’t want to lose my business.

I had clients who paid me a retainer during the Covid lockdown. “I’m gonna pay you for the next month but don’t bother coming because of Covid but we want you to keep your business and we want to be able to have you come back after this ends,” she said of her clients. I had five or six clients who kept my business afloat during the early days of Covid. “I don’t know what else I would have done.”

Amplify: What mistakes did you learn from when starting your business?

Long: Communication is key in business. Every time I visit a client's home I connect with the owner to inform them about the visit. “It can get messy if you don’t do that and then clients have questions or they don’t know what’s going on,” she said.

A mistake I think a lot of people make is walking their dogs off-leash. “Off-leash walking is amazing but not everybody’s dog is friendly,” No one knows what an off-leash animal is going to do at any specific time, so always pay attention and put safety first.

Amplify: Where do you see your business in five years?

Long: I’m hoping to hire more people at some point and then I can just manage the business. “I love my job, I love what I do, I love the connections but I want to be the boss.

I had one of my clients tell me today, “you do a great service, thank you so much for everything you do,” Hearing those encouraging words helps me to realize that I’m on the right track.
“I’m doing something that people appreciate, something that I enjoy doing. That’s hard to find in a job.”

Amplify: What are some words of inspiration you would give to an aspiring entrepreneur?

Long: I would say go for it. If it’s your passion and it’s something that you really enjoy then there is a way to do it and you just have to take the steps.

Connections are so important. Meeting people in your industry is important. Branch out, meet people. Meet people who have the same passion as you because that’s how you’re going to get ahead. “I’m friends with some of the dog walkers in the area and they literally keep me going,”

It helps to have other people who know exactly what you’re going through and that you can talk to and learn from.

Location: Osterville
Phone #: (774)-521-8967
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/furrbabyzpetcare1
IG: https://www.instagram.com/furrbabyzpetcare/
Website: https://delaynalong.wixsite.com/furrbabyzpetcare
Email: delaynalong@gmail.com