Business Spotlight: Getting Funky

How does a couple embrace a life centered on animals?

For Collin and Meghan Funkhouser, it all started in science class at Missouri State University, where they came together while sorting river detritus under a microscope.

“It was very romantic,” Collin jokes. “We’ve just been science nerds and animal lovers our whole lives.”

About 13 years ago, Collin and Meghan started walking dogs as a side gig. They found they had a knack for it, in part because of their keen curiosity about animals, and word got around about their services.

Eventually, the couple registered their company, Funky Bunch Pet Care LLC, in 2021. It’s a family business, with Collin doing much of the hands-on animal work and Meghan running the office, but the family of four – the Funkhousers have two young children, whom they homeschool – often venture out together to care for furry, finned or feathered animals.

The company primarily offers dog walking services, visiting some animal clients, and occasionally their homebound humans, as many as three times a day. Thirteen part-time animal caregivers are employed with the company.

One client is Molly Booth, who lives in Oregon but who has hired Funky Bunch Pet Care to walk her mother’s dog, Dax, three times a day. Booth’s mom has dementia and lives in an assisted living facility in Nixa, but because of a relationship with Funky Bunch that is going on three years’ duration, she is able to keep her dog with her, and Booth knows Dax is given the stimulation, observation and exercise he needs.

“They’re truly amazing,” Booth says. “They not only care for Dax, but they truly care for my mom, too.”

In addition to the electronic care updates from the Funky Bunch crew on Dax every time they visit, Booth says the company also includes notes about her mom.

“They are a blessing in our lives,” she says. “They’re incredibly kind and caring individuals – the whole team.”

A business of caring
Funky Bunch seems like an animal business, but Collin is quick to note that it’s actually a people business. That’s what drew them into it as a full-time endeavor.

“We were just really passionate about helping other people,” he says. “There’s always somebody at the end of the phone call that has concerns or worries – that’s had a bad experience.”

People care deeply about their animal companions, Collin said, and they want to know that their non-human loved ones are being cared for.

“A dog’s never whipped out its wallet to pay me for a dog walk. A cat has never tipped me for scooping litter,” he says. “It’s always a person who has some concerns – and so as much as we take care of pets, we really say we’re in a people business, and there are a lot of people who are relieved to know there’s a service like this.”

Collin and Meghan are the only full-time staff members at Funky Bunch, but Collin noted they receive a large number of applications from people who want to join the team.

“We take people’s trust very seriously in that the people that we hire have squeaky-clean background checks,” he says. “They go through over 30 hours of training, both online and in person, to make sure that they are up to our standards.”

There are also regular reviews and background checks after employees are hired, and the company is fully insured.

There’s even pet first aid and CPR training to take care of any issue that comes up, Collin says.

“Our goal is to make sure that when the pet owners are away – whether they’re at work or they’re on vacation – that they’re doing it guilt-free and stress free,” he says.

Clients can get to know pet care specialists through online profiles – from Wyatt, a dad and a video game lover with a dog named Rosey Noodle and a cat named Harley Davidson, to Ryan, who raises waterfowl, plays Magic the Gathering and loves playing with his dogs.

Funky Bunch does not have a storefront, but instead meets clients at their homes, Meghan says.

Services are concentrated to a six-mile radius around Twin Oaks Country Club, she adds. Areas served include Nixa, Fremont Hills, Battlefield and parts of Ozark. Services are also offered in Sedalia.

The company operates every day of the year from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Collin notes.

Funky business
What started as a basic dog-walking service has expanded into just about anything a pet owner needs.

Visits with other pets are 20, 30 or 60 minutes in length and range $20-$50 each, with a holiday surcharge of $5. The 20-minute service is designed for dogs that just need a check-in, while longer visits are for high-energy dogs or anxious dogs that need a mid-day release, or those that are leash training and need some reinforcement, according to the company website.

There are also 3-hour adventure hikes that start on long leads and build toward off-leash exploration, the website says. This $90 service is good for athletic dogs who need prolonged exercise.

Funky Bunch also offers pet sitting, with 30-60-minute visits that include walks, feeding and medication administration. Caregivers will also water plants and bring in mail. The base price covers two pets, ranging from dogs that need bathroom breaks or cats and exotic pets. The price ranges $27-$50, with a $5 charge for each additional pet over two.

Funky Bunch also offers poop scooping, starting at $50.

One unusual offering is wedding pet attendant service, with Meghan referring to it as a pet’s personal wedding-day planner. Caregivers will walk a pet down the aisle, lead a pet dance at a reception and help with an engagement photo session. The price for this service starts at $300.

Collin notes that Funky Bunch does not do group walks but instead offers one-on-one attention, unless there are multiple dogs in a family.

“Every dog is unique. They deserve that kind of quality of care, so we’re going to personalize it for them,” he says.