618-505-7575
A New Era of Daycare
We’re not just a daycare, we’re your partner in raising a happier, healthier, and more balanced dog. At Fetching Pet Company, we ditch the chaos of free-roam daycare for something that actually benefits your dog: structure, enrichment, training and intentional small-group play. Every pup rotates through group play sessions that include toy time, group obedience, and enrichment favorites like bubbles, the scent garden, scent trails, obstacle courses, treadmill time, and more. Each dog also enjoys 20–40 minutes of private one-on-one time with a daycare coach, customized to their needs think ball pit, puzzles, loose-leash walking, body awareness training, obedience training, scent & brain games, and confidence-building exercises. Between activities, dogs enjoy multiple rest breaks in kennels complete with DOGTV, because even overachievers need downtime. We believe in balance: play, learn, rest, repeat. Because every dog should leave daycare better than they arrived.
THE STORY
Mikayla Cavaness,
Owner of Fetching Pet Company
Hey there, thanks for stopping by! I’m Mikayla, the proud owner of Fetching Pet Company in Troy, IL. I grew up in the Troy area and went to Triad until... I dropped out. That part used to embarass me but it was actually a foundational moment that helped create everything FPC is today because it allowed me to enter the dog industry early. By 14, I was already working in my mom's grooming shop, obsessed with dogs but I was also an awful employee for her and had never worked anywhere else a day in my life. I was overly confident and wanted to create my own way in the dog industry so I went straight into a serious dog training and behavior program covering police dog training, narcotic detection, service work, and more. Oh, and did I mention I don’t currently use any of the methods I was taught in school? After school, I got a reactive German Shepherd who changed everything I thought I knew. The methods I was taught weren't working so I went back to independently studying and relearning everything. Suddenly this wasn't just a potential career anymore. It was personal. I needed care I could trust for my own dog, and I kept hitting the same wall: people who didn't understand behavior, methods that weren't backed by science, environments that stressed dogs out instead of supporting them. I knew exactly what to do next. Our area needed better dog care and I was going to be the one to build it so I just went for it. I found a building on Craigslist. A former vape shop in Troy. I walked through it and knew this was where Unleashed, now Fetching Pet Company, would be born. Then I went to my mom's best friend's house and gave her a presentation at her kitchen table. I needed $2,300 to open. I had a list: first month's rent at $800, a grooming table, a dryer, a few basic supplies. That was the whole pitch. She said yes and it took me two years to pay her back. Oh, and the landlord threw in some paint and old floors. We were rockin' and rollin'. How I opened this place with only $2300, I have no idea. My parents, friends, and family showed up with paintbrushes and muscle and helped turn that former vape shop into Unleashed. I showed up at local grocery stores and asked if they'd slip my flyers into customers' bags. They said yes. Thank you to this community for believing in the vision before there was much to see. We opened with a full grooming schedule and daycare dogs already booked. Some of those dogs still come in every single week. To make it all work, I moved back in with my parents and lived on Tyson frozen precooked chicken and broccoli with sriracha. Basically every meal. Microwaved in my basement room. LOL. I worked 12 to 14 hour days, six days a week. I built our systems, our approach, our entire culture around one belief: dogs deserve to be understood for who and what they are, not just managed. Science-based, enrichment, force-free care isn't a buzzword here, it's been the whole foundation since day one in 2017. No one expected a high school dropout microwaving chicken in her parents' basement to be now known by dog care professionals around the world, featured on industry podcasts but here we are. This place was born because I believed our dogs deserved better. But it exists today because I have an incredible team and an amazing community behind us who believe it too. If you're new here, welcome! You're in the right place and so is your dog. Hope to see you soon, Mikayla
Why local dogs (and their humans) are obsessed with us
At Fetching Pet Company, we’re not your average dog daycare and honestly, we’re proud of that. We don’t believe in the “let ’em loose and hope for the best” approach. While most local daycares rely on free-roam, we’ve built a completely different model: structured, enrichment-based, and trainer-designed to meet all your dog’s needs not just social ones. We’re trainer- and behaviorist-owned, which means our mission isn’t to simply babysit dogs, it’s to help them grow, learn, and thrive. Every part of our day is intentionally planned with purpose. Dogs rotate through small group play sessions that focus on healthy socialization, toy time, and group obedience. They also enjoy one-on-one sessions with a daycare coach (20–40 minutes of individualized fun like obedience training, loose leash walking training, puzzles, ball pit, scent trails, body awareness or confidence training. This balance of structure, stimulation, and downtime creates calm, fulfilled dogs not overstimulated, exhausted ones. And speaking of rest, yes, it’s part of the program. Each dog gets multiple rest breaks throughout the day in a comfortable Ruffland or XL Igloo kennel, complete with frozen Kongs and DOGTV. Because dogs need good solid hours of rest daily, and we’re not about skipping the essentials just to send home a tired, frazzled pup. We also do things differently when it comes to community. Each dog is matched to recurring days with the same playmates and staff, meaning no revolving door of strangers. Familiar faces = stronger bonds, calmer dogs, and a more consistent experience. It’s like having a weekly friend group minus the awkward small talk. Our daycare team is highly educated, completing 20+ hours of formal training in canine body language, defensive handling, group management, and positive reinforcement. They also receive ongoing continuing education to stay on top of modern behavior science. Translation: they actually know dogs and how to read them, guide them, and support them without ever using fear or force. Every activity we offer is rooted in positive reinforcement, ensuring dogs feel safe, confident, and supported every step of the way. No intimidation, no “alpha dog” nonsense just science-backed training that builds trust and good habits. And finally, our commitment goes beyond the daycare walls. We work with owners to share insights, offer homework, and problem-solve behaviors at home. In our premium program, we even include a 30-minute owner coaching session every four visits, so you’re part of your dog’s progress, too. Oh, and one more thing, we’re all-inclusive. No nickel-and-diming, no upsells for enrichment or training time. Everything your dog needs to live their best life is included is included in one of our two tiers for $59 or $75. Because we’re not here to cut corners; we’re here to raise the standard. Fetching Pet Company is daycare done differently, designed to make dogs better, owners happier, and everyone’s lives a little easier.