Pet Patrol owner Lisa Berry Barbosa and friend pose next to one of her transport vehicles — a retired SUV police canine car.
After losing her job as a corporate HR executive in November 2024, Lisa Berry Barbosa had an epiphany.
As she watched a television news story about a man who transported dogs back and forth from penthouses in Upper Manhattan to dog grooming and daycare appointments, Barbosa, a longtime pet owner, wondered whether there was a service like this in her home state of Rhode Island.
Finding no such business online, she spoke to groomers, pet daycares and veterinarians and soon realized there was a growing demand for a service that handled transporting pets to their various appointments.
Given her experience as a frequent pet shelter volunteer, she knew firsthand how valuable the service would be for pet owners, and she realized that she could be the one to fill this gap.
“It’s not just me making Fluffy look good. It’s really for their better health and well-being, so I decided to really get into the business and immerse myself in the education. [I] became certified in Fear Free, which is what veterinary techs go through to understand animal behavior. I also really started looking into emergency-type equipment that I would need if I was going to taxi animals, so I got CPR certified as well,” she said.
After she received the proper credentials and worked out the details with her attorney, her pet transportation business, Pet Patrol USA, was up and running.
“[We] ultimately pick up a pet at their home, bring the pet to their appointment that has been scheduled by the owner, and then bring the pet back home safely and comfortably — providing comfort, convenience, and ease to the customer — which is the pet owner who might have challenges bringing and transporting their pets from point A to point B, [and] back to point A,” she said.
One thing that makes Pet Patrol USA stand out is that it only hires U.S. veterans. Barbosa served as a military medic for eight years in the Army Reserves and she sees this as a way to support fellow service members.
“There’s a lot of synergy between animals and veterans, whether in their training, they had to work with animals, or just even think[ing] about support dogs and individuals who have pet service animals that help them through anxiety and some of the trauma through post-traumatic stress disorder,” she said. “That’s why I’m looking to retired vets or vets who have been coming back from deployment who haven’t really figured out what they want to do in their civilian life and [want to] work part time with me.”
When veterans connect with Barbosa, she helps them to become Fear Free and CPR certified.
“I get to give back to the veterans’ community. I served as a military medic for eight years [and] tried to find any way I can to try to give back to that veteran community and family that’s been supporting me, that’s a big part of my story as well,” she said.
Another thing that makes her business unique is that the vehicles she uses to transport her clients’ pets are retired SUV police canine cars.
“They’re already set up for an animal to be transported safely. For cleaning purposes, it’s all plastic on the back and the insides. I would keep the animal crated, because I think that’s safe and that helps with the diversity of animals that I can take in my vehicles,” she said.
Since launching Pet Patrol USA, Barbosa said she has been embraced by the community, both as a small minority business owner and a veteran-owned business. Yet, she is still working to make her mark and grow the business.
“I’m still getting my name out there. I’m still educating. People don’t know what this service really is, even though I’ve been … clear in my marketing,” she said. “They think I take dogs on excursions — nowhere in my repertoire do I say anything about excursions. People think I’m a mobile pet groomer. Same thing. Nothing says mobile pet grooming. … So I’m out there educating.”
She also shared why it is important for the community to have the pet transport services she offers, especially for the elderly, those who cannot drive, individuals who have to work as well as others.
“Now that people are being called back to the office … they don’t have the flexibility in their schedule that ‘I’m home, I’m just going to take Fluffy to the groomers, while I am on my lunch break and pick them up later when I’m done with my workday.’ They don’t have that opportunity,” she said.
Barbosa has advice for entrepreneurs and veterans of color who may want to open a business.
“If you’re going to dream, dream really big. Listen to your inner voice. Don’t listen to the voice that tells you ‘You can’t, that’s too big,’ or ‘That’s impossible’ — because if you can dream it, then it’s possible,” she said.
ON THE WEB
Learn more at petpatrolusa.com
