Two years ago, Stefanie Zwegers had a 1-year-old puppy. Her husband was recovering from knee surgery and wildfire smoke blanketed Central Oregon. Between working, helping her husband and dealing with poor air quality, she found it hard to exercise the couple’s puppy, Bodhi, an English Cream Golden Retriever, enough to calm his natural exuberance. Little did she know, however, that this stressful situation would lead to a new business venture and a way for her to support cancer patients.
“We got the idea of putting a custom-built treadmill in one of our guest rooms, and from there, we had friends who’d want to come over with their dog,” said Zwegers, 40, of those early canine workouts. After she and her husband, Aaron Pierce, built out and customized a 2015 Ram cargo van with two treadmills, rooftop air conditioning and heat and a HEPA filter to maintain climate control, Bend Barks & Rec launched in December 2025.
Zwegers has a background in dog training and behavior, and Bend Barks & Rec, a mobile dog gym, provides customized, trainer-guided, 30-minute sessions built around a dog’s individual needs. The sessions happen in the climate-controlled van, in client’s driveways or out front of their residence. The two treadmills ensure the smallest or largest pups can work out, either with their canine family members or doggie friends from the neighborhood. Zwegers believes the benefits go beyond simply burning off excess energy and, similar to exercise’s benefits for humans, can help dogs feel more calm and confident.
“We live in Dog Town, USA, and the dogs here are part of a family,” Zwegers said. “Sometimes our days just become so busy that it’s nice to have at least that day during the week where you have a consistent run for your dog, and now you have a happy dog, and you don’t have all of that guilt about leaving your dog at home while trying to live a busy life.”
Making life easier for cancer patients is another way in which Zwegers hopes Bend Barks & Rec can help. Zwegers, herself a cancer survivor, is providing complimentary weekly sessions for the dogs of local cancer patients in active treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation and post-surgical recovery.
“You’re going through a hard enough time, so this just gives them one less thing to worry about, so they can focus on healing,” she said. “Unfortunately, cancer is something I’ve experienced personally. When I was 35, I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. I found out how much a dog can mean to you when you’re going through something so difficult. It’s a way of turning that experience into something more positive for other people and their dogs. When you have a dog, you know how important it is to have your dog with you. This is something we can take off your plate. If you’re going through something already so difficult, we’d love to help.
Zwegers says anyone who wants to support the weekly workouts for cancer patients’ pups can donate to Bend Barks & Rec.
“People can help if it calls to their heart,” she said. “They can donate money so that we can keep the complimentary runs going. They can even just share that the program is happening to someone who might need it or could use our help, but it’s something that’s we’re always going to do, no matter what.”
Jill Crandall is a Bend resident who was one of Zwegers’ first customers. Crandall, 51, and her husband, Jeremy, 54, have two Australian Labradoodles: Zeke, 8, and Ruby, 14. Zeke is a regular runner on the Bend Barks & Rec treadmills, while Ruby, older and more content to be chill, typically just enjoys the pre-workout treat that Zwegers provides all doggies.
“Zeke has a little bit of a weight problem,” Crandall said with a chuckle. “Both my husband and I work full-time jobs. We try and do our best with getting him out, but we don’t always get him out every single day, and since we have a senior in the house (Ruby) who sometimes doesn’t eat right away, Zeke will have two meals. There was a time when he was starting to put on some pounds.”
Zeke’s vet cautioned Crandall that the dog needed to drop weight right around the same time she met Zwegers. The dog now gets weekly treadmill workouts, and Zwegers sends photos and videos of the workouts to Crandall if she and her husband aren’t around to watch.
“Sometimes, when we’re here, we’ll go out and just watch and he’ll increase his speed. He gets excited to see us and show off,” Crandall said. “It has helped tremendously. When I know that I’m going to be really busy and can’t get him out, I’ll call her, and she’ll come by. Stefanie is a wonderful human being. She’s amazing with pets and with people. She’s so calm. Zeke loves her, and she always greets Ruby and gives her attention as well. She’s super gentle with the dogs and so trustworthy. She’s just an amazing person.”
Cancer patients can book complimentary sessions at the Bend Barks & Rec website using the discount code PAWSOFLOVE26.
Bend Barks & Rec:
Mobile Dog Gym
541-525-6292
bendbarksandrec.com
This article appears in Central Oregon Pets Fall 2026.
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