Our Story

Hi! I’m Katie Cavanagh and in 2013, I started Happy Dog as a local dog walking business. It began humbly with me personally walking dogs. Over the years, Happy Dog grew organically through positive word-of-mouth experiences. As the business grew, so did the team which has grown into an incredibly inspiring group of people who share in the same passion as I do for natural canine care and integrative healing.

In 2020, we expanded our services by opening our first location in Fells Point, Baltimore, offering dog grooming, dog acupuncture, enrichment toys, and healthy treats without harmful fillers and additives. We also introduced positive reinforcement training, non-anesthetic dental cleanings, and wellness supplements for a holistic approach to canine well-being.

During this growth, my own dog faced an aggressive diagnosis of spleen cancer, and was given only 4-8 weeks to live. Conventional options were limited to emergency surgery or in-home euthanasia. I refused to accept these as the only choices for my dog, Shea, who was 14-years-old at the time. That led me on a journey deep into the world of holistic cancer treatments in which I found an integrative veterinarian approach, combining both Eastern and Western medicines.

Adopting a raw food diet, supplementing with Turkey Tail mushrooms, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, and ozone treatments led to a remarkable transformation. Shea is now full of energy and vitality, defying the initial prognosis almost a year later.

Happy Dog is more than a business; it embodies a holistic philosophy, integrating both veterinarian science and ancient natural knowledge. Shea's transformation inspires us to share the possibilities of healing with other dog parents who may find themselves in similar situations or who just want the best for their best friends.

We have expanded our offerings into more holistic driven canine care so that we can help dog owners and truly empower them with both the knowledge and choice to give their fur-children just as much joy as they bring to our lives.

Thank you so much for visiting Happy Dog and we hope to work with you!