Canine chauffeur: Behind the wheel of ‘Pup Truk’

Cari Heupel has become a one-woman pet shuttle service.

With a background in child care, Heupel has combined her passion for caretaking with her love of animals as the owner of Your Dogs Driver, a business she started nearly two years ago to help Sioux Falls pet owners transport their furry family members around town.

“I tell people it’s the best job in the world,” she said. “I get to play with dogs pretty much all day.”

To make appointments, clients can contact Heupel by phone and email or via her Facebook and Instagram pages. Most of Heupel’s tasks involve driving animals to and from vet and grooming appointments. On her busiest days, she’s juggling multiple animals and appointments as she drives all around town in her “Pup Truk.” 

Heupel lived in Aberdeen for most of her life, moving to Sioux Falls four years ago to be closer to family after her husband died. She said she has always been drawn to animals, with a household that now includes two dogs and two cats.

One day, Heupel noticed a Facebook post from a neighbor who needed help walking her dog because she recently had undergone surgery. Heupel happily reached out to offer assistance, catching the attention of AniMeals on Wheels, a program connected to Active Generations that helps elderly pet owners care for their furry friends. 

Heupel started driving pets to appointments for the program and quickly received interest from community members who wanted to hire her. Eventually, she decided to set off on her own with Your Dogs Driver. 

Your Dogs Driver can take pets just about anywhere their owners request, Heupel said. 

“I tell people pretty much, if you can think of it, ask me, and I’ll try to help you out if it involves driving your dog somewhere,” she said.

While her clients are primarily dog owners, she also has transported cats and is open to other animals if requested. 

Heupel thought her services would be more popular during the winter when roads are more treacherous and pet owners may not be inclined to drive. However, she said she hasn’t noticed a specific season where her business is especially booming. 

“Certain days of the week are busier than certain other days, which is really odd,” she said. 

Heupel is aware of the niche nature of her business, but she said there are others like hers out there. In conducting research before starting Your Dogs Driver, she found similar services in bigger cities around the country. Additionally, she said local pet care companies do offer pet transportation as part of their services, but it just isn’t the main aspect of their business like hers.

Heupel said she focuses on making each animal comfortable on its journey to and from the vet or groomer, making sure it has water and relaxing music to listen to on the way. 

“The best part is the dogs, I mean really for someone that is a little bit introverted and would probably take dogs over people any day,” she said. “But honestly, I have met the nicest people, and so not being from Sioux Falls, it’s really nice to meet some other people.”

Right now, Your Dogs Driver is a one-woman show, but Heupel wants to eventually get busy enough to hire extra help. 

“My business kind of took a hit during COVID, so really, I just want to be busy enough just to kind of have fun,” she said. “This job is perfect because I can make my own schedule.”

In addition to transporting animals, she also wants to one day become a resource for pet owners for tips on pet safety and fashion. But for now, she’s excited to continue to help local pet owners with all their transport needs. 

“I have a lot of aspirations,” she said. “We’ll see if I get there.”