SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Everyone needs exercise – including our four-legged friends.
A recent graduate of Springville High School is helping dogs get their legs moving.
Shyler Mecham is the owner of Bark n’ Go, a mobile gym for canines.
“Most of them love it,” Mecham said. “The dog does it all. If they want to slow down, they slow down. If they want to stop they stop.”
Inside Mecham’s temperature-controlled van sits a pair of treadmills imported from Europe. They don’t have any motors. The dog controls the speed of the treadmill belt.
“It’s really fun to see the dogs get excited on it and sprint their hearts out,” she said.
Mecham works with about 100 dogs, mostly in southern Utah County. Her clients use the service to avoid walking in harsh weather conditions including icy sidewalks or intense summer heat that can burn a dog’s paws on the asphalt.
The treadmills are also a mechanism for improving health and controlling weight. Meacham said one dog she works with lost seven pounds.
The 20-year-old developed the idea for this business while studying at Snow College.
“They had a business pitch competition and I entered it with this idea and I ended up winning,” she said. “I won a little bit of money and I used that money to buy a treadmill.”
In just a few months, Mecham has expanded her operations to include two treadmills inside the large van.
In addition to her duties running a small business, Mecham is a student and works another full-time job. She also finds time to volunteer at the South Utah Valley Animal Shelter where she regularly gets dogs out of their cages and onto the treadmill.
“It’s definitely been rewarding,” she said. “There’s been one or two dogs that I absolutely loved and have gotten adopted.”
Mecham hopes to gain more clients, finish her degree at Snow College, and make Bark n’ Go her career.
She’s overcome any apprehensions about running her own business and is moving full speed ahead.
“The van was a big leap of faith and it was scary,” she said. “I’ve just had a lot of fun. I’ve gotten to know a lot of really, really cool people, made a lot of cool connections and learned a lot of things. So, that was totally worth it."
