Spring Grove friends say business all about the dogs

Kelly Popelka and Carla Tammen of Spring Grove always hoped that their careers would go to the dogs, literally.

For over a decade, separate career paths postponed the lifelong friends and neighbors from acting on their shared vision of a canine-based business venture.

But dreams came true last September when Popelka and Tammen opened Fur the Luv of Dogs, a dog day-care and grooming center, in their hometown.

"We've been received very well Spring Grove," Popelka said. "There is no competition for us here and business has been great."

Fur the Luv of Dogs lived up to its name by recently raising $1,100 for Illinois Vest-a-Dog, a nonprofit organization aiming to equip all of the state's police and military dogs with bulletproof and stab-resistant Kevlar vests.

A fundraising event held on Memorial Day combined several raffles with the donations of residents and local businesses. Billed as a "first-annual charity event," Popelka says the community can expect the effort to grow in the coming years.

"When people come in and see what we're doing for these dogs its creates a positive feeling for everybody, even people who aren't dog lovers," she said,

The event also raised $400 for Save-A-Vet, a nonprofit organization supporting retired or injured military canines unable to find a home because of their aggressive training.

"It's an honor to give back to the police dogs protecting our communities and to the military dogs protecting our nation," said Tammen. "We'd love to do this again."

Illinois Vest-a-Dog representative Vicki Harrington presented a certificate of appreciation to Popelka and Tammen following the raffles and the ceremonial "vesting" of K9 Indy, the Fox Lake police department's prized German Shepherd.

"Without people like (Popelka and Tammen) we wouldn't be able to protect these dogs," said Harrington. "In the U.S. and Canada a police or military dog is killed every three months. They are three times more likely to be shot than the police officer."

Valued at $815 apiece, the vests protect the dog's vital organs without restricting mobility. So far, Illinois Vest-a-Dog has vested 312 service canines statewide.

"The name of the business kind of sums it up doesn't it?" said Illinois Vest-a-Dog Director Lee Harrison. "They did it 'Fur the Luv of Dogs.'"