ST. GEORGE —One girl’s love for dogs gave her a new “leash on life” when she started her own bark-worthy business running dogs indoors.
Sara Lounsbury, founder of Run Doggo Run – a mobile dog gym business she built out of an old school bus – said she was actually inspired to start the business from a post she saw on TikTok. When she discovered one man with a mobile dog gym that lived in Phoenix with temperatures around 120 degrees, she realized if he could do it, so could she.
“I thought, wow, this is really neat. Why don’t we have one here? I guess you could say this is a really fun way to beat the heat with the hottest topic in St. George – treadmills for dogs,” Lounsbury said.
With a regular full-time job and her new business venture on the side, Lounsbury said she was driven to start the business based on her love for dogs. Now a certified veterinary support assistant – a job that includes assisting vet techs and veterinarians with animal care and management – she’s specially trained to feed, bathe and exercise all types of animals. She’s even licensed to do animal CPR and emergency first aid for sick and injured animals.
In December 2021, after completing her own research on a mobile treadmill business for dogs, Lounsbury said she was ready to buy an old bus to renovate for her new business, Run Doggo Run. She picked up an old, rundown bus she found online in Scottsdale, Arizona. The bus was in such poor condition that the wheels shredded on her drive back to Utah.
“The guy sold it to me as-is and didn’t even know what kind of condition it was in,” Lounsbury said. “The bus was just falling apart. I definitely put money in this thing.”
Lounsbury has since put in a wide array of mechanical and cosmetic work into the bus. After the renovations were completed around June of this year, she began to promote her business.
While she knows the importance of exercise for dogs, she doesn’t want mobile treadmills to ever replace regular outdoor walks, since those stimulate all dogs’ senses. As the desert summer heat makes the ground unsafe for paws and winter walks become too cold for some owners, she hopes people will utilize Run Doggo Run as a temporary replacement and a fun activity for their pets.
Lounsbury takes her business to the next level by giving back to dogs that have limited access to exercise. Around the city of St. George, shelter dogs, rescue dogs and dogs in foster systems are all completely free.
“I’ve been blessed and I want to be able to bless the community and the animals in the shelters. I think about how they’re trapped in small cages and might not be able to get the exercise they need,” Lounsbury said.
Brandon and Joycelyn Moss, dog parents to Penny, a Border Collie mix, and Lucy, a Labrador mix, have now done five treadmill sessions with Lounsbury and hold the record for the fastest dogs. St. George News was able to attend a session where the dogs fought to beat their already high records.
Penny, who held the record for the fastest dog on a treadmill at 45.6 mph, set a new record on June 30 at 47.7 mph. Lucy came in second at 32.9 mph. Both dogs have since beat their records again on July 7 – Penny at 48.4 mph and Lucy at 34.7 mph.
Brandon Moss said Penny was a rescue dog and very shy at first. The second day, she was wild. At only 6 weeks old she was running with a tennis ball in her mouth and catching frisbees.
His wife said Lucy is super smart and learns things quickly. She is also a people person and a very emotional dog. Her husband picked up both dogs at different times but brought them each home without permission from her. While she originally told him to take them back, she loves both of them deeply and can’t imagine life without them.
The couple said the dogs now live a fabulously spoiled life. When they go camping, the dogs each have their own dog camp chairs, have a toy and snack allowance when they travel, and at their old house, they even had a full outdoor dog house with electricity, a Bluetooth light and dog beds, along with a window that allowed them to check on the dogs from the house.
When they saw the mobile bus around town, then a Facebook post mentioning Run Doggo Run along with a free intro session, the couple decided to book an appointment.
“He saw the current record and he said, ‘Oh, Penny can definitely beat that.’ so we had to do it,” Joycelyn Moss said. “And guess what? She did.”
The Run Doggo Run bus features a large treadmill for larger dogs, a small treadmill for smaller dogs and a resistance treadmill to help dogs slow down and focus on a slower, more stamina and strength-building exercise. More than just the exercise, Lounsbury said she loves watching the dogs and their owners work together and become closer. It drives her passion to continue her work.
“What’s more important to me is the relationship between you and your dog. And if you give them that encouragement, love, trust and support, you’re going to build a better, stronger relationship with your dog. When I see that connection happening between the dog and a person it’s a therapeutic thing for me to see,” Lounsbury said with tears in her eyes.
Lounsbury offers the first session free for all customers. For more information on Run Doggo Run, visit their website or find them on Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .
Sara Lounsbury stands outside her mobile dog gym business, Run Doggo Run, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News Sara Lounsbury stands in her Run Doggo Run bus, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News The Run Doggo Run bus sits above a view of St. George and surrounding areas, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News Sara Lounsbury, owner of Run Doggo Run, sits with her two dogs, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News Sara Lounsbury, owner of Run Doggo Run, cheers on a dog as it runs on the treadmill, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News A list of the fastest dogs hang inside the Run Doggo Run bus, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News Brandon and Joycelyn Moss pose together with their two dogs, Penny and Lucy, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Ross, St. George News Brandon and Joycelyn Moss pose together with their two dogs, Penny and Lucy, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Ross, St. George News Penny (left) and Lucy (right) pose together on a lake day adventure, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Moss, St. George News Penny (left) and Lucy (right) swim side by side, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Moss, St. George News A one-eyed German Shepherd walks on the indoor treadmill at Run Doggo Run, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News Two dogs get exercise at Run Doggo Run, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News A dog stands on a treadmill inside Run Doggo Run, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News Workers at an animal shelter cheer on a rescue dog, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News An animal shelter worker cheers on a rescue dog, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
Sara Lounsbury stands outside her mobile dog gym business, Run Doggo Run, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Sara Lounsbury stands in her Run Doggo Run bus, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
The Run Doggo Run bus sits above a view of St. George and surrounding areas, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
Sara Lounsbury, owner of Run Doggo Run, sits with her two dogs, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
Sara Lounsbury, owner of Run Doggo Run, cheers on a dog as it runs on the treadmill, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
A list of the fastest dogs hang inside the Run Doggo Run bus, St. George, Utah, June 30, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Brandon and Joycelyn Moss pose together with their two dogs, Penny and Lucy, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Ross, St. George News
Brandon and Joycelyn Moss pose together with their two dogs, Penny and Lucy, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Ross, St. George News
Penny (left) and Lucy (right) pose together on a lake day adventure, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Moss, St. George News
Penny (left) and Lucy (right) swim side by side, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Joycelyn Moss, St. George News
A one-eyed German Shepherd walks on the indoor treadmill at Run Doggo Run, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
Two dogs get exercise at Run Doggo Run, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
A dog stands on a treadmill inside Run Doggo Run, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
Workers at an animal shelter cheer on a rescue dog, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
An animal shelter worker cheers on a rescue dog, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Sara Lounsbury, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.
Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.
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