STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Jj Forlenza wants to make her credo clear: “I’m not in this for the money. I’m in this for the dogs,” she said.
Forlenza recently launched her own business, blackdog doghaus, a dog daycare center in Tottenville that celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 27.
Born in 1991, in Medillin, Colombia, she was adopted from an orphanage at the age of six months. Her parents raised her in Annadale, where Forlenza has resided for most of her life.
As an only child, Forlenza was very close with her parents, Darlene, a homemaker, and Steve, who worked in the tech industry before retiring.
Forlenza discovered her love of animals at the age of five when she attended summer camp at the Staten Island Zoo, West Brighton. “It was the greatest thing ever. They would show us the animals and we would do activities. I went until eighth grade, then I became a junior docent of the education program,” Forlenza said.
As a child, Forlenza loved to draw. “I drew superheroes, cars, people, dogs,” she said.
She dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, a video game designer, and a race car driver.
After graduating from Tottenville High School, she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she obtained an associate degree in illustration.
She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in graphic design at SUNY Empire State University.
After college, Forlenza struggled with anxiety and depression. “I kind of took a break on everything. I wasn’t ready for a job yet,” she said.
In 2012, Forlenza adopted a pit bull she named Poopah, fulfilling a childhood dream. “I never had a dog growing up. I always asked my parents for one, but they always gave me an excuse: they had allergies; there was no room, the typical excuses,” she said.
Tragically, Poopah died after getting hit by a car. “She died in my arms. It was wildly traumatizing,” she said.
In 2014, Forlenza got a job at a Staten Island dog daycare center, Woof and Tails Lodge in Charleston.
On the side, Forlenza started two ventures, a pet servicing business that offered dog walking, dog training and pet sitting, and a dog portrait studio, for which she combined her artistic talent and love of dogs.
Woof and Tails Lodge closed in 2023. “I was pretty devastated when we closed and I lost all of my clients and my dogs, people who were friends and family,” Forlenza said. “And I wanted to get that back for us, because we made a community.”
“I immediately started searching for places to lease and do my own doggy daycare. It took about a year and a half to find a place. I would say I saw 15 places until I found the one that I have now.”
She named her business “blackdog doghaus” because all three of her own dogs are black. They are: Hachiko, a mutt; Udon, a Brussels Griffon; and Daruk, a Great Dane. But she doesn’t play favorites when it comes to breeds. “I like all kinds of dogs, every breed, every shape, every size,” she said.
“A lot of people think working with dogs is just easy, that you get to play with them all day,” she said. “That’s not the case. It’s a very, very, very hard job.”
Forlenza has her own philosophy when it comes to being in charge. “I don’t want to be a boss. I want to be a leader, and I want to make sure that I do right by my people,” she said.
What advice does Forlenza have for dog owners? “Socialization is key,” she said. “For a well-behaved dog, socialize them as soon as you get them. Just do whatever you can to make sure that they experience anything and everything so they’re not afraid of anything.”
Staten Island dogs now have a new place to socialize at blackdog doghaus, where Forlenza and her staff conduct a three-hour interview before accepting a new furry client. “We want to make sure that the dog is somewhat comfortable with other dogs in a play environment,” she said. “If they show any aggression, they’re not allowed here.”
“I don’t believe that there is any competition in the dog world, whether that’s other dog daycares, whether that’s trainers, whether that’s small businesses for pet supplies, whatever the case is, there are enough dogs to go around,” Forlenza said. “So I don’t believe that there’s any competition at all. We’re a community. We should just all be helping each other.”
