🤑 Making it Rain in July 💦

Hello friends,

July was a whirlwind—in the best way—and I’ve got some big news to share.

💸 SBA Loan: APPROVED

TBH, this is a game-changer. As many of you know, we’ve been working hard to bring on strategic investors to help fund our vision, and I’m thrilled to share that we’ve officially welcomed several incredible partners over the past couple of months.

What you may not know, though, is that I’ve also been working behind the scenes for nearly a year to secure a substantial SBA loan.

Until now, we had raised enough to launch the most stripped-down version of the concept—functional, but limited. We were committed to making it work regardless, but this loan gives us the ability to do more than just the bare-bones. We can now deliver something more true to the Zoomies vision.

On that note: we are still accepting investors! While we’ve secured enough funding to sign our lease and complete the buildout, we’re continuing to raise working capital to help ensure a smooth and stable launch. Shoot me a message if you’d like to learn more!

Back to the loan: after months of chasing SBA funding with multiple lenders—redoing financials, reworking the business plan, resubmitting forms—I finally got the call from a loan officer I met at the Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo back in May (proof that industry events can pay off).

“YOU’RE APPROVED!” she shouted.

We did a joint happy dance over the phone. Celebration ensued.

We’re now working through the final closing requirements (of which there are many). The biggest one of all… a signed lease.

🏗️ Lease Negotiations: Getting Closer

Our negotiations for 2950 N. Western Ave. are progressing positively and we hope to land on terms that are a win-win for us and the landlord soon.

It’s a great space:

• 24,000 square feet
• Bow truss ceilings
• Big factory windows and skylights that provide amazing natural lighting

Our brilliant architect, Aneesha Dharwadker of Chicago Design Office, is already sketching early concepts, and we’re getting really excited about her ideas for how to make the space feel special.

Assuming everything continues to go well, we will be sharing more details about the building and our plans for it once we’re deeper into the design stage. This is where things will get really fun!

❄️ About That Winter Opening…

I’d love to open this winter—and we still might be able to welcome folks in, in some capacity. But with only a few months until November, a full grand opening at that time is unlikely. Once the lease is signed, our contractors feel that we’re realistically looking at 6–8 months for design, permitting, and build-out. That puts us into Q1 or Q2 of 2026 for a full launch.

I know. I KNOW.

We said 2024. And then 2025.

And trust me, no one is harder on me about that than… me. If you’re upset or frustrated by this, you are officially welcome to vent. Email me, DM me — I get it.

The difference now is that we’ve made real, measurable progress on funding—so this timeline feels less like wishful thinking and more like something we can actually execute on.

No doubt, not having somewhere indoor to go with your pups as it starts to get cold is less than ideal. I will say this though, if next spring and summer are anything like what we’re experiencing now—wet, gross, and hot as f**k—I think Zoomies will still be a welcome reprieve no matter what time of year we open.

So, please make sure to direct some of your ✨good vibes✨ to our negotiations over the next few weeks. As always, we’ll keep you in the loop every step of the way.

🐶 Last Week’s Fundraiser: A Huge Success

On Sunday, July 20th, we hosted a fundraiser for SAYv Animal Organization at Ludlow Liquors in Avondale and it was so much fun. The weather was mercifully cool. We had amazing pet parents come out to support, win prizes, sip cocktails, and get adorable dog portraits by Maleia Hartman of Sunday’s Best. Huge thanks to Jane Shang at Ludlow for hosting us — if you haven’t been, go! Their back patio is big, dog-friendly, and extremely chill.  10/10 recommend.

🎉 Come See Us Again: Sunday, August 3rd

We’ll be at Mei Lin Barral Photography’s 10-Year Anniversary Party, and you should come!

📍 Fire Hydrant Pet Sitting Co. – 1322 N Clybourn Ave. 

📆 Sunday, August 3rd | 🕒 11am–2pm 

🎟️ Free + Dog-Friendly (need I say more?)

🙋‍♀️ RSVP Here!

🐟 Local Business Spotlight: Archway Pet

We love shouting out local dog businesses doing good — and this time, it’s Archway Pet.

Archway is a Chicago-based pet treat and food company making thoughtful, eco-friendly products for dogs and cats. Fun fact: Founders Gabe and Adam are both very cool dudes who were kind enough to meet with me and share some incredible advice when I was just getting started with Zoomies. Now, they’re launching a new line of products made with silver carp and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show them some love.

Why silver carp?

Silver carp are an invasive species in U.S. waterways, especially around the Mississippi River basin and threatening to reach the Great Lakes. They were originally introduced to control algae in aquaculture ponds, but after escaping into the wild, they began outcompeting native fish by consuming huge amounts of plankton—the foundation of the aquatic food chain, consuming much needed resources for fish in their natural habitats.

But get this: despite their bad reputation ecologically, silver carp are actually clean, nutritious, and perfectly safe to eat. Unlike bottom-feeders, they’re filter feeders—meaning they don’t scavenge; they sift algae and plankton from the water, making them low in contaminants. They’re also high in protein, hypoallergenic, and packed with healthy Omega-3s.

By using silver carp as a key ingredient, Archway is turning an ecological threat into a smart, sustainable protein source for dogs—one that supports local ecosystems and canine health. It’s the kind of win-win solution we’re all about.

👎Not cool: invasive species wrecking ecosystems.

👍Very cool: solving that problem while producing sustainable, highly-nutritious food for pets.

Their brand new, veterinarian-approved dog food is available for pre-order now — and if you order through this link, you’ll get a discount and be supporting both Archway and Zoomies in the process.

Final word

If the extended timeline bums you out, I get it. But here’s the headline: the two biggest, hardest milestones—funding and finding the right space—are finally within reach. Could the lease fall through? Sure. Could it be signed by next month? Also yes. Either way, we got a huge pump in our funding this month, and that gives us leverage, credibility, and options – And that’s one hell of a place to be.

Thank you as always for your support and for following along with the journey. More soon!

– Devon and the Zoomies Pack