Hope Mehlberg started K9 Konvoy in 2021 before making it her full time job in 2023

The wheels on this dog bus go ‘round and ‘round in Oconto, Wisconsin.

Every morning, Hope Mehlberg hops on her pawprint-painted school bus to pick up dogs around her small town and transport them for a day of fun at a local park as part of her K9 Konvoy doggy day care business.

It began when Mehlberg, 31, added her neighbor’s dog, Zeppelin, to her dog-walking routine with her own pets, Dodge and Teddy. Hope rescued Zeppelin after he had been hit by a truck and added him to her pack after his recovery. From there, Mehlberg brought more dogs on her walks and started her own dog-walking business.

“[It] was kind of just one of those things where I started walking my own dogs just to get out of the house, get some fresh air, get some exercise, and it just kind of snowballed into what it is now,” Mehlberg tells PEOPLE.

After almost two years of part-time dog-walking, Hope quit her job and began spearheading K9 Konvoy full-time.

“I wasn’t happy with what I was doing,” Mehlberg says. “At that point, I was like, ‘You know what? I already have so many dogs. Let’s take a gamble on myself.'”

In the spring of 2023, Mehlberg purchased a school bus and created a private dog park on her family’s property. Mehlberg picks the pups up and takes them to her private park. She has acquired 65 dogs on her client roster to date.

K9 Konvoy has helped Mehlberg in unimaginable ways. She explains she originally started dog walking as a means of coping with her infertility.

“I hit a really, really, really low point in my life, which I’m thankful for now,” Mehlberg says. “Looking back, it was really hard to go through, but looking at the full picture, if I would’t have gone through that, I wouldn’t [be] where I am.”

“I was in that dark place where I needed to get out, I need to feel that joy again,” she continues. “I’m consistently around these dogs. They’ve just helped me [and] showed me that it’s okay.”

Every morning, weather-dependent, Mehlberg wheels around about 24 pooches on her dog bus for a day of adventure in her three-acre dog park. She starts her day around 8 a.m. by mending her park. After making sure everything is set for her furry clients, Mehlberg will travel anywhere from an hour to two hours to pick up all her dogs for the day. She then transports them to the park — set up with toys, tires, swings, and tunnels — where they can roll around in the sun, get their zoomies out, and play with one another.

“Each day is different and each day is an adventure and each day is super fun,” Mehlberg says. “I love going to work. I love waking up and going to pick up all the dogs.”