Hike Doggie, a premier dog hiking service based in Colorado, is hoping a recent customer review submitted by one of their canine clients is about to go viral. Gunnar, a four-year-old Black Labrador Retriever whose owner is Denver resident Kristi Gacke, left an epic five-star Yelp review about his daylong hiking adventure on June 16. What started as a routine walk turned into what Gunnar describes as "the greatest adventure of my life."
"This first-person pup review on Yelp is definitely a first for us," said Kath Allen, founder of Hike Doggie. "The moment we spotted the post, we just knew we had to share Gunnar’s five-star review with as many people as possible. What he wrote perfectly encapsulates what makes our full-service hiking adventures so special for dogs."
Written from Gunnar’s perspective, the review begins with a disclaimer that he is a real canine and not a paid spokesdog. He shares that the adventure was the "greatest day of his life, narrowly beating the time he found a half a chicken nugget in a parking lot." While being transported in one of Hike Doggie’s climate-controlled busses, Gunnar explained he was so excited that he was "already gone emotionally" shortly after departing from his owner.
Gunnar’s owner, Kristi Gacke, was not surprised by the attention. "To say he’s still pretty amped up about the experience is an understatement," she said. "But Gunnar has always been a very expressive doggie, quite vocal. Honestly, I’m really not all that surprised he’s gone and done something viral."
In his review, Gunnar noted specific observations: he discovered 17 sticks, catalogued 43 different smells, and encountered numerous squirrels. After returning home, he "collapsed face-first on the floor, slept for six hours, barked once in his sleep, dreamed about chasing a squirrel, and woke up with a leaf still stuck to his butt."
Gunnar’s only complaint was that Hike Doggie eventually had to bring him home. He signed off as "Founder & CEO of Barkshire Hathaway, as well as the Director of Sniff Operations/Lead Squirrel Intelligence Officer, Good Boy, First Class."
Hike Doggie, founded in 2016, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a mission to "make dogs as happy as they make us." The franchised business offers professional dog hiking services with perks like transportation, snacks, and baths. Serving over 800 dogs monthly in Denver alone, Hike Doggie has participated in over 60,000 hikes across six states. More information is available at their website.
