Nearly everyone who has been to camp has vivid memories of the woodsy adventure. There are the cabins, the camp counselors, the campfire treats, the wide open spaces, the incessant barking of the furry four-legged camp goers. Well, at least these are the sights and sounds for visitors of Camp Bow Wow, the fastest-growing doggie daycare center in the United States. Founded little more than a decade ago by dog-lover Heidi Ganahl, Camp Bow Wow is a safe, happy place where people can take their pets when no one is home to care for them. For dog owners who work in the daytime, the Boulder, Colorado-based franchise offers premier doggie daycare services. For pets that need to stay a little longer, Camp Bow Wow has overnight boarding with spacious cabins and comfortable cots. Each day, the experienced counselors at Camp Bow Wow supervise dozens of canine campers. Pooches receive plenty of personal attention, including grooming, outdoor exercise, food, baths, and medical support. A few years ago, Sue Ryan, a Camp Bow Wow franchisee, handled all the ins and outs of managing the doggie day camp. Once the job became overwhelming, however, Ryan hired experienced pet care worker Candace Stathis to be camp counselor and, later, general manager. "Candace is good with the dogs, good with the customers, good with the employees, and she can manage the administrative part of the operation. She does a little bit of everything," Ryan said of the managerial top dog.
To keep camp running as efficiently as possible, Stathis maintains a strict schedule for doggie baths, nail trimmings, feedings, and play time. Staying on schedule is a difficult task, however, especially during the busy holidays and summer months or whenever the pets get territorial. Stathis says that though dogs get in occasional tussles, all camp staff members are trained to handle hairy situations. "It's part of the job; we are all really prepared to deal with it," says Stathis.
For franchise owner Sue Ryan, delegating jobs to competent employees equals less worry and more time for personal relaxation. Ryan says she can finally dream of taking time off to travel the world. For Candace Stathis, however, managing a Camp Bow Wow is all about doing work she loves. "I love the people, I love the dogs, and I wouldn't change anything for the world," Stathis says. Using the job characteristics model, explain why the employees of Camp Bow Wow love their jobs.