Meet the Owner

True Animal Lover Follows Passion to Open Pet Care Business

Welcome to my animal family! Mojo, Buddy Flannagan, Ollie Lou, Kindred (Kinnie Kin), Posey and Tango!

Hi! I’m Kelly Kinnard, and I started Around the Block Dog Walking & Pet Care after ending a 30-year career as an executive assistant. I am a true animal lover who followed my passion to open my own dog walking and pet care business – instead of being cooped up in an office. Now I spend my days caring for a variety of incredible animals. This is the last thing I ever could’ve predicted for my future and I am so very grateful for this blessing.

I’ve had terrible allergies/asthma for my whole life, and as a kid, I always had to check if my friends had pets before I could commit to a sleepover. Pets weren’t an option for me, and to be honest, I never understood why people got so attached to them. When I got older, and still had allergies, I realized everyone seemed to “get it” except me. Obviously, I was missing something. So, against all medical and family advice, I decided to get a dog – a small, low allergy one.

That led to my beloved Mojo, who I found scared out of his wits in an overcrowded, rundown shelter in Colorado. He was 7-months-old and though I had no idea what I was doing, he stole my heart within days. That little rescue dog changed my entire life and opened my heart to animals in a way I never knew possible. I toughed-out the allergies until I built-up a tolerance and also got allergy shots for several years. Because of what Mojo taught me, I began rescuing other animals and learning about their multi-faceted emotional spectrums as well their struggles in our world.

Every day for nearly 14 years, I dreaded losing Mojo, but eventually, it happened. My precious soul dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge on December 13, 2020. There’s not a moment that goes by that he’s not in my heart, and I can’t wait to see him again. During our time together, we also rescued another little pup, Buddy Flannagan, who was my saving grace after Mojo passed. Buddy, a quirky and comical little fella,’ had been neglected and abandoned, and I was happy to offer him sanctuary for the last four and a half years of his life. Sadly, BudFlan passed too, only seven and a half months after Mojo.

A few years ago, I began offering pet sitting services on the side to earn extra income without “actually working,” and it came easily. Eventually, I wondered how I ever ended up sitting at a desk all day, when I’m a mover and a shaker, so I decided to go fully into pet care and become the owner of my own business based on care, compassion and goodness.

Today, most of my life is about animals, and I have two small dogs and two cats! Miracles happen! I adore animals and I love spending my days walking them in the fresh air, playing with them, laughing at their antics, and enriching their days alone. What a wonderful job I have, taking care of cats, dogs, birds, chickens, fish, and whatever else comes my way! I genuinely love them all and view them as spiritual, sentient beings whose lives are equally important to ours. It is my goal to love each and every one of them fully and give them a soft, safe hand, along with fun, joy and compassion.