FORT WORTH, Texas — Candace Cooper runs her doggie daycare business out of a great location in Fort Worth's growing South Main Village.
"Nine years March 1," she said. "And I was the first business in this area."
But this year has been her hardest, not because of the dogs. It's because of construction.
"As you can see, they've closed all access," Cooper said, as she showed us around her property Wednesday.
Every single road around her small business is under construction; most are closed. It's been going on for a year. And while the detour tells cars to use a side alley to access Doggie Diggs, there's often no true way to enter her parking lot.
"It's actually damaged several of my clients' cars," she said of the alley. "They've bottomed out."
She says the whole thing is dangerous.
"A lot of times, like earlier today, there was a truck horizontal and there was absolutely no access, and there were cars parked here in the alley, so there was literally no way for an ambulance or a fire truck to get here," Cooper said.
Courtney Runnels is one of Cooper's clients. She, too, is concerned.
"Yesterday there was absolutely no way that any emergency vehicle, fire, EMS, police, anybody could get down there," she said.
Not to mention clients are often having to park blocks away and walk their dogs to the business in the mud, the women say.
The city of Fort Worth told WFAA Wednesday this is a private project, connected with a new apartment complex.
"The City of Fort Worth inspector is working with the contractor, StoneHawk Capital Partners, and the developer to correct the situation and ensure access for residents and businesses in the area," the city said in a statement.
Shortly after we received that statement, the city inspector for this project moved the "road closed" at the corner of Doggie Diggs to make it easier to access the business.
That inspector also mentioned the traffic plans had all been approved by the city. But Cooper is still concerned about the safety of it all.
"I worry, absolutely," Cooper said.
She wants to make sure she and her business are not forgotten.
Construction is expected to wrap up in the coming weeks.