Doggy day care bus transports two dozen pups to the park: ‘Best job I’ve ever had’

By 

Brooke Kato
Published March 18, 2025, 11:01 a.m. ET
An old school bus has transformed into a doggie day care transport van that takes excited pups outside for play time and socializing — and it has captured the hearts of millions online.

K9 Konvoy, which boasts over 981,000 followers on TikTok, operates out of the small city of Oconto, Wisconsin, where founder Hope Mehlberg picks up people’s dogs to get them out of the house.

A woman, Hope Mehlberg, sitting on a school bus filled with various breeds of dogs, providing doggie day care service
Hope Mehlberg began her dog walking side hustle using her personal car. Now, her business K9 Konvoy has expanded.Facebook/K9 Konvoy

“A lot of [who] I call my pet parents are working throughout the day, so it’s just a nice little service to get their dogs out of the house, get some interaction and play time because in our location, the closest doggie daycare is about 20 to 30 minutes away,” Mehlberg told USA Today.

She posts clips of the jam-packed canine mobile on social media, highlighting birthdays and daily snack routines, as viewers fawn over the pups’ personalities or, on occasion, their accessories. The birthday dog often wears a festive hat and their paw-rent sends treats on the bus to celebrate, which one viewer said reminded them “of elementary school.”

“This is my dream job,” one fan wrote in the comments.

“This video makes me rethink all of my life and career choices,” agreed another.

Even Mehlberg calls it the “best job” she’s ever had.

“I get to spend the day with dogs,” she said. “I can’t complain about that. Some days are a little faster than others, but overall, it is most the best job I’ve ever had, and I think I will ever have.”

A group of dogs looking out of a school bus window for a doggie day care service
The school bus transports 22 to 26 eager pups to the dog park every day, where the pooches are able to run amuck and play with each other.Facebook/K9 Konvoy
A group of dogs on a school bus ready for a day care service, operated by Hope Mehlberg in Oconto, Wisconsin
“If there are mud puddles out there, I let them roll,” Mehlberg said. “At the end of the day, if they are dirty or I have to bathe them, then I did my job.”Facebook/K9 Konvoy

The idea for the K9 Konvoy was born out of Mehlberg’s desire to get her own dogs out of the house.

Mehlberg, a former federal employee, worked early morning shifts and would return home by noon to take her dogs and her in-laws’ dogs outside. At the time, she had two dogs: Dodge, a yellow lab who turns 11 next month, and her late rescue Teddy, who was recently put down.

She’d pile the four pups into her car and take them to another location for some time outside, as “a stress reliever.”

When her neighbors requested that their German Shepherd join on Mehlberg’s daily walks, she realized she’d need a larger vehicle and purchased a utility van, removing the seats to fit her furry passengers.

Hope Mehlberg with a group of dogs in a school bus for her doggie day care service in Oconto, Wisconsin
The adorable pups celebrate each other’s birthdays — with treats, of course — and wear festive apparel for the holidays.Facebook/K9 Konvoy
A group of dogs in party hats on a school bus, part of Hope Mehlberg's doggie day care service in Oconto, Wisconsin
Their daily snack ritual involves each dog receiving some sort of treat. In videos posted to TikTok, Mehlberg goes one by one down the bus aisle and feeds each pup a dog treat or piece of cheese.Facebook/K9 Konvoy
A group of dogs standing on a staircase inside a school bus for Hope Mehlberg's doggie day care service
The bus service gives a whole new meaning to “dog pile,” as excited pups pour into the vehicle after frolicking in the park.Facebook/K9 Konvoy

Then, word got around and more people asked if their precious pets could join, evolving Mehlberg’s humble afternoon activity into a full-blown “pet-walking service,” eventually quitting her full-time job to develop her new business.

“That is when I got the bus,” she explained. “It’s kind of just been a wild ride. I’m overwhelmed with all of the support.”

She begins at 8 a.m. every day by loading up her own dogs before stopping at houses around town to pick up the fur babies of her customers before going to a local three-acre park, a fenced outdoor area owned by Mehlberg’s family.

“It’s insane,” she said. “I never would have thought it would have been become anything like this but here we are.”

A group of dogs sitting in a school bus for Hope Mehlberg's doggie day care service
Mehlberg said it is “the best job I’ve ever had, and I think I will ever have.”Facebook/K9 Konvoy
Since launching K9 Konvoy, she’s grown her canine clientele to about 22 to 26 pups of all ages, sizes, breeds and, of course, personalities.

“The biggest thing with me is I let dogs be dogs,” she said. “If there are mud puddles out there, I let them roll. At the end of the day, if they are dirty or I have to bathe them, then I did my job