Photo by Lexi Coon.
Mountain Brook resident Jill Sylte walks with Angel during a midday stroll. Sylte recently started Mutt Strutt, a dog walking service that offers three levels of walks in the local neighborhood — 20, 30 and 60 minutes — and Sylte said a month-to-month contract is the only requirement. Owners can schedule as many walks per day and per month as they need, and they are charged a set amount per walk.
Dog owners care deeply about their four-legged friends and want what’s best for them, which includes getting time outside even if their humans have a busy schedule. That’s why Mountain Brook resident Jill Sylte created the dog walking business Mutt Strutt.
Sylte said she has had dogs her entire life “and decided to actually make this into a company because there’s a need for it.”
“I remember having to come home and let my dog out at lunchtime, and it became a hassle. But I did love seeing my dog,” she said.
Sylte, a Birmingham-Southern alumna and the administrator for the Facebook page “Dogs of Mountain Brook,” launched Mutt Strutt in late 2018 after seeing a lot of dogs around the neighborhood, and the idea for a local dog walking business came up in conversation. She had wanted to run her own business for a while, so combining that with her passion for dogs was “something that’s right up my alley.” Now, she’s transitioned from sales to be a business owner.
“It just sort of happened,” she said.
Sylte and her friend Carolyn Goldstein initially started the business, but Goldstein will be more involved as a dog-walker rather than an owner, Sylte said. Sylte will continue with logistics, marketing and dog walking.
Mutt Strutt offers three levels of walks in the local neighborhood — 20, 30 and 60 minutes — and Sylte said a month-to-month contract is the only requirement. Owners can schedule as many walks per day and per month as they need, and they are charged a set amount per walk.
Sylte said she will walk multiple dogs from the same family at one given time, as long as it is not too overwhelming, does not compromise safety and none of the dogs are leash-aggressive. Owners must supply their own leashes and fill out a veterinarian release form before walks to make sure all of the pups are up to date on vaccinations. It also supplies the vet’s contact info in case of an emergency.
If owners need someone to feed their dog or administer medication, Mutt Strutt is able to do that, too, Sylte said. She tries to be as flexible as possible to meet owner and dog needs, and she can work with schedules, especially when people are out of town.
She also said the walkers, who pass a background check, can send photos or videos of the dogs on their walks if the owner requests it. To make sure the dogs are comfortable with the process, Sylte said she likes to meet for a consultation and have the same person take the dog on a walk each time.
Since starting Mutt Strutt, Sylte said everything has gone well. She hopes her passion for dogs helps connect with them, so she can treat them like family, too.
“That’s how most people want to treat their animals these days, and that’s how I’ve always treated my dogs,” she said.
Now, she’s looking forward to the future of her new business and serving the surrounding community.
“I’m just really excited about this,”she said.
Mutt Strutt is licensed and insured, and the first walk is free. Sylte said the main hours will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although flexibility is available. For more information, find Mutt Strutt on Facebook or email muttstrutt@yahoo.com.
