Women-Owned Business Series: Fallon from Camp Barrk

Welcome back to our Women-Owned Business Series! Today we’re featuring Fallon, the founder of Camp Barrk — a medical boarding facility giving pet families the vacations, milestones, and peace of mind that years of caregiving had put on hold.

The inspiration behind Camp Barrk comes from the founder’s 15+ years as a veterinary technician and one persistent client, Paul Leahy, whose diabetic dog Brandy needed monthly bloodwork. Paul spent years pushing for a medical boarding facility, convinced families like his — stuck without a vacation for a decade or more — needed somewhere safe, medically capable, and fully transparent. Read more about her story below!

First, tell us about your business and anything special we should know about it or you.

I started Camp Barrk because I noticed that my area lacked expertise in medical boarding. I’ve been a veterinary technician for over 15 years. We would have Brandy, a diabetic pup, come into the clinic with her Dad, Paul Leahy. Every month he’d walk through those doors like clockwork for Brandy’s bloodwork and urinalysis. And every month he’d chew my ear off about opening up a medical boarding facility. I owe it all to him and his demand. He was absolutely right. Families would be stuck. No vacation for 10-20 years. Missing family events, milestones. The community needed someone who could give intramuscular injections to patients. Providing all the comforts of home and the experience of an ER. A set of eyes to watch out for possible illness before it struck too late. Someone their families could rely on and trust. Someone who wasn’t afraid to be fully transparent. Camp Barrk has grown exponentially within the last 5 years. It’s a life I could’ve only dreamed of. Pack hikes, trail runs, rock scrambling, and ocean swims, all with a foundation in medicine. Http://www.campbarrk.com

Why do you feel a connection to your work?

There’s no place I’d rather be, nothing I’d rather be doing. It’s exactly where I want to be on my birthday. I love dogs with every fiber of my being. They’re beautiful, lighthearted, and full of adventure. I’m grateful that we have this community. My family is a huge part of what we do, and I have so much pride in that. It’s a huge source of connection for the dogs, their humans, and my family. To gain the trust and be able to care for such innocent, loyal beings means everything to me.

As a business owner, community is everything. In what ways do you serve your community and how has your community served you?

Community is one of life’s greatest joys! We can’t flourish without it. It was my main goal when I set out to start this business. There’s a point everyday where I catch myself in a state of gratitude for the relationships we’ve fostered. We support our community in a bunch of ways with the services we provide, but the casual conversations, behavioral training recommendations, medical advice and overall support is where I think we really come together as a community. I’m there whenever one of our pups is in need. If they have a boo-boo and need a house visit, their families have reached an impasse with their training, or a pup is on hospice and we need to discuss end of life comfortably. I never want to leave anybody stranded. It’s so important to me to let you know that I’m here for you. Just recently, dad got into an accident, and the way our families rallied together to support us was incredibly touching. We talked about our gratitude for everyone together in the hospital. Daisy’s family offered direct support by coming to our home and handling drop offs for us, Rocket’s family checked in every day with food, and the outpouring of prayers and check-ins on Dad’s wellbeing was more than I could’ve ever asked for. Thank you all so much. We wouldn’t be able to do it without you!

What advice would you give to others who want to start a small business?

Do it. Rip off the bandaid. Put your heart into it, and don’t look back. If you build it, they will come!

What women inspire you and why?

My grandmother. It’s hard to write about her and not cry. I miss her greatly. She was the pillar of our family. She ran her own store, manned the house, held down the kids, and had breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the table. She loved fiercely, was the life of the party, and could take care of all of our boo-boos. Watching her loose her independence to Alzheimer’s was tough on all of us. At the time, it was more important to me to be as strong for her as she had been for all of us. Grief didn’t hit me until she passed. I maintained being her primary caregiver for 4 years, and that’s what gave me the confidence to enter the workforce caring for the sick and vulnerable. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her influence.

What do you think are the most significant challenges for small business owners or women in leadership positions?

Sexism. I still think we face patronizing attitudes and general dismissal. If my father comes with me on Meet and Greets, every once in a blue moon, all of the questions will be directed towards him. I’m grateful he and the rest of the men in our family demand my success. He’ll redirect them as many times as he needs to in an effort to ward off misogyny, internalized or not.

Please plug any promotions, events, or recent milestones you have!

We just reached half a million views on Instagram! Instagram.com/campbarrk