HappyDoc gives back: The doghouse that started it all
At HappyDoc, we’re committed to making a positive impact on people, pets, and communities. Elevating the well-being of others drives everything we do, and giving back in meaningful ways is a core part of our mission. This doghouse-building competition with the YMCA is just the first of many projects we’re excited to support. We’re excited to share this first project with you, and we look forward to finding more ways to support causes that mean a lot to our team.
When our HappyDoc product team discovered that the YMCA was hosting a doghouse-building competition to raise funds for its teen camp program, we jumped at the chance to get involved.
“Bark and Build” is an annual fundraiser that encourages local teams to build and submit a custom-designed doghouse. On competition day, community members buy raffle tickets for a chance to win one of the donated doghouses, with the proceeds directly helping local teens attend camp.
Stepping out of our usual work routine to tackle a quirky project with a purpose was a great way to connect the team while giving back to an important cause, so we decided to design and submit our own doghouse for the fundraiser.
Designing for Freya (and every dog who loves a ramp)
The first step was figuring out what this doghouse would actually look like.
We wanted it to be functional, a little stylish, and definitely sturdy enough to withstand Montana’s wild weather. Jack, the CTO of HappyDoc’s dog, Freya, actually inspired the design more than we expected. Freya loves to climb, and much prefers being on top of things rather than in them. So naturally, the team decided our doghouse needed a ramp.
We added a window to keep the doghouse cool with a cross breeze during the hot summer months. Montana winters are no joke either, so we included shingles under a layer of turf to keep it weatherproof.
All in all, it was a great exercise in combining creativity with practicality. Plus, a pretty fun experience for our team — it’s not every day we design with a dog’s preferences in mind.
Engineers meet power tools
Our team consists mostly of software engineers…people who are used to working with keyboards, not power tools. For some of us, this was the first time ever painting or using a saw. The cuts weren’t exactly precise, and nothing was perfectly square, but everyone was ready to jump in and figure it out.
The ramp ended up being much steeper than we’d imagined.
It was more of a doggy slide than a ramp, and our honorary test dogs, Koloa and Sailor, would slip right off trying to climb it. We eventually added horizontal slats to give them some traction. Watching the dogs try to master it gave us a good laugh, but in the end, all the dogs LOVED it, and we couldn’t help but appreciate the charm of our slightly unconventional design.
During the build, we also used Eli, a member of the engineering team, to test the size of our design. He was too tall, but he wasn’t our “target user” anyway.
After several fun evenings, we had a complete doghouse.
The raffle was set up at Montana State University during a football game for peak participation and visibility. At the event, our creation joined doghouses from other teams, including some from local vet clinics.
We didn’t take home the top award, but we had a great time!
Looking back and looking ahead
After the project wrapped up, we treated it like any other launch and held a “retrospective” to talk about what went well and what could be improved. The project was messy and nowhere near perfect, but full of great team building and lessons learned - we all agreed it was an experience worth repeating. We’re already planning our next doghouse for next year’s event with plenty of upgrades.
Moving forward, we’re committed to finding more ways to support causes that help both people and animals. Whether it’s building a doghouse, supporting local shelters, or finding other ways to volunteer, giving back is a part of who we are at HappyDoc. This project was just the start of what will be a long tradition of helping those in need, both in our community and beyond.
