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About Indiana Bones
An engineer walksinto a forest.
And never really walks out. The short story of how a career in mechanical engineering turned into a pack of very muddy dogs.
The founder
Hi, I'm Sam.
I spent 18 years as a mechanical engineer before I found the courage to do the thing I actually loved. I grew up in Brazil with a Doberman named Ariane, and dogs have been my compass ever since: Nikita the Poodle, Antaris the Husky, Bubby the German Shepherd, Jimmy the Sheepdog, Anya the Shar-Pei and Oscar, a Lab and Great Pyrenees mix.
I moved to Canada in 2018 and noticed something strange about Vancouver: the mountains are right there, and most city dogs never get to them. Indiana Bones started in 2021 to fix that.
The engineer never really left. That's why there's live ETA on every pickup, a written safety policy, GPS on every pack and a three-part entrance exam for dogs. The adventurer runs everything else.
Our mission: give every dog we serve a real adventure, safely, and bring them home tired, happy and better for it.
What we stand on
Thevalues.
Safety
- Three-part enrollment for every dog
- First aid, GPS, trackers and written emergency plans
- Approved commercial off-leash trails only
- Background checks on every hiker
Trail kindness
- Vegan treats to avoid allergic surprises
- Compostable poop bags
- Routes planned so no dog waits long in the car
- Leave the trail cleaner than we found it
Adventure
- Safe but genuinely challenging trails
- A guaranteed 1.5 hours off-leash
- Treasure hunts, costumes and terrible puns
Community
Off the leash,on the map.
Indiana Bones & the Nature CrusAID
Every summer, clients and dogs follow a treasure map along the trail, collecting clues and trash as they go. Last year's mystery: who stole Indiana Bones' hat? The trash goes to proper disposal. The hat was found.
Events
- Indy's Pumpkin Carving Contest, every October 31
- Indiana Bones & the Temple of Zoom, a bike scavenger hunt with Riley's Rips
- Pet-a-Palooza, where we built a ruin full of clues and a secret passcode
The Paw Print Post
The Paw Print Crew& Team Indy staff.
- Indiana BonesOwner
- Bonnie BonesHR Director
- Babbles BonesCustomer Service Manager
- Lego BonesThe Intern
- Eric T. BonesIT Genius
- Maverick BonesLegal Adviser
- Gizmo BonesScheduling and Planning Analyst
- Azimov BonesResearch and Development Scientist and Indy's fan
- Rafferty Doubloons BonesFinance Director
- Diana BonesEditor-in-Chief and creator of the columns “Diana Unleashed” and “In Diana's Bones”
- Paprika BonesFortune Teller - Zodiac Column
- Meshki BonesChef - Culinary Column
Press
The truth is out there... tururururu ru
- Peachin Adventure: A 25 year-old award winning adventure blog with thousands of readers around the world.
- Daily Hive: 6 unique dog services in Vancouver.
- [Indiana Bones'] Technology Helps Retrieve Lost Dog in West Vancouver
Hip Bones
Trail gear for humans
Our small-batch caps, made in Canada: the Bushwhacker, the Scavenger and the Explorer. Mesh back, snapback, real leather patch. Limited runs, so ask before they're gone.
Jointhe pack.
New here? Book a free Meet & Greet, then the Trials of Destiny. Already in the pack? Your next hike is two taps away.