FOUNDER AND CEO
JILL’S NEXT DOOR DOG WALKING & PET SERVICES, LLC
According to Pew Research Center, 97% of American pet owners consider their pets to be members of their family. It’s this vast majority to which Jill Merjeski tailors her myriad services.
A former college advisor, Merjeski started Jill’s Next Door Dog Walking & Pet Services in 2017 to better align with her longtime commitment to animal welfare—she has fostered some 330 felines, in addition to her two permanent rescue cats—and to step fully into her strengths as a team leader and entrepreneur. “I saw a real need for a pet care company that was professional, trustworthy and truly heartdriven,” she says. “Starting Jill’s Next Door allowed me to bring all of that together— my love for animals, my passion for service, and my natural leadership style.”
For Merjeski, these elements combine into a 29-time award-winning business that offers not only the fundamentals of pet service, such as dog walking and pet sitting, but a host of concierge options befitting both pets and their owners. These include the Pet Taxi (transporting fur babies to and from veterinary appointments), pet bathing, power walking, litter box cleaning, house checks, supply shopping, pharmacy pickups and home vacuuming.
“Our add-on concierge services came from listening to what our clients needed beyond traditional pet care,” she says. “And for the pets, it means less stress—whether it’s a safe ride to the groomer or a clean, fresh environment to come home to.”
561.544.7297
jillsnextdoor.com
IG: @jillsnextdoordogwalking
This post is part of the Best of Women in Business section from the March 2026 issue of Boca magazine. For more like this, click here to subscribe.
