Thinking of opening Clayton Doggie Daycare...Your thoughts?

Doggie Daycare

Thanks for the reply. Sounds too good to be true!

I am a member and foster mom for a breed specific rescue active in VA, GA, NC, SC & TN.

Please PM me if you need a volunteer. I love dogs!

 

Well, that's great! I'm more than happy to volunteer and the employment would be nice.

When do you plan on opening?

Thanks!

 

We have found an excellent location and are working with the zoning department for our permits right now. We will keep you updated as we progress, but within a few months is the goal.

 

Ok. Thanks so much. That's good timing, I turn 16 in October and I'll be getting my license so I could drive there.:mrgreen:

 

I love the ideas you have...they all sound great!
I am a big believer in rescue, as well as keeping business local...
Where is your place going to be?

PM me if you need extra help, volunteers, or employers...
I have two fur babies of my own..a German Shepherd mix, and a Chihuahua Terrier mix...both very sweet...they look strange together with their sizes being so different, but the little one is quite spunky:lol:

Look forward to seeing your business take off!

 

Hi "FrameMaMa"

I wrote you a PM also. Thanks for your feedback and your willingness to get involved with rescue and adoptions. So sorry to hear about your sweetie you referenced in your PM.

We have come to terms with the owner of a property on US 70 on your way to I-40 (from Clayton). The property falls into Wake County's jurisdiction, and they are a PILL to work with. Their special use process takes several months and they're requiring all sorts of unnecessary things. Anyway, we've been working on it for about a month now and finally have the packet ready to turn in this week! YEAH!! :hurray:

In the mean time we're so appreciative to hear from all of you and your ideas. We've been flooded with offers for volunteers and help. We're so grateful for that, and so excited that we live amongst so many people who love animals. All the responses we're getting mean so much to us.

Lucky Paws

 

I'll be keeping an eye out for your business when it opens.

Requirements for me:
- must be able to bring my dogs' food in a labeled container or other method of your choosing; I will bag and label individual meals if necessary, but I will not board my dogs somewhere that requires me to feed them Purina or some other crappy food while they're there—that is a deal-breaker for me

- my dogs must be allowed to be kept together in the same kennel or run, and the kennel needs to be large enough to accommodate two medium-sized dogs

- must either have access to outside run OR be taken outside no less than 2x/day; both dogs are housetrained and will probably hold it as long as possible to avoid messing "inside," and I don't want to run into any health problems (UTIs, stones, etc.) because they don't have the chance to go outside

- all runs/outdoor play areas must be securely fenced; if the fence is chainlink, it needs to be constructed in such a way that dogs can't climb it; gates to enclosures need to be of the kind that dogs can't open

- must have a chance to stretch their legs outside in a larger area once a day, preferably for at least 15 minutes

- meds/supplements given for a fee

- must be clean and well organized; staff needs to be attentive and knowledgeable; all dogs at the facility must be current on standard vaccinations, heartworm prevention and flea/tick prevention (or quarantined in the case of rescues)

- must be safe!! No protruding wire, broken gate latches, doors to outside left propped open, etc. No leading dogs by just a collar—put a slip lead on every time!

Bonus things:
- let me bring a few toys that are safe (i.e., any toy that my dog can play with that doesn't require supervision)

- let me bring a clean, completely washable, appropriately sized bed/bedding from home

- offers add-ons like walks, extra outside time, one-on-one time with staff for playing/general attention

- separate "quiet area" for older pets

- separating large and small dogs in play groups; yes, some large dogs play just fine with small ones, but some don't, and I think it's better to be safe than sorry. Some big dogs don't understand that they're that big and strong and can hurt a smaller dog without being aggressive in the slightest.

Other thoughts:
Grooming isn't a big deal for me, as I handle that myself. Anal glands are done by the vet because I've seen someone injure a dog because they didn't know what they were doing. However, both my dogs are short-haired, and I imagine if I had two big long-haired dogs, I'd feel differently about the grooming.

Please have staff who can knowledgeably administer a temperament test and who know the difference between an aggressive dog and an overly excited one who simply doesn't have good self-control.

Please communicate with me; if you're having an issue with my dog, I want to know about it so I can work on it at home, if necessary, or talk with you about how best to address it. Also, make sure that you have a good internal communications system in place so that if an owner calls with a question about his pet, it can be answered promptly and fully.

I really like it when kennels put pictures of their facilities online. I'm going to take a tour anyway, but it's nice to see whether the facility is suitable or not from home. I also like it when Web sites have policies, prices and FAQs right on the site.

I'm sure some of this sounds kind of odd and some of it sounds like it should be common sense, but this post is based on experiences I've had with boarding kennels/doggie daycares, and sometimes what you'd think is common sense actually isn't. :neutral:

Good luck with your venture! It would be nice to find a boarding kennel/daycare closer to home.

 

Hi youdontsay,

YouDIDsay (I know, I have a terrible sense of humor... :banghead

Thanks so much for taking time to write us your thoughts. Most of what you asked for will be no problem. There are some things about our biz that I will explain below that will help you understand just what we would offer... Here it goes....

No Prob at all. Actually we encourage it. No need to clean up extra messes because dogs are off their usual diet. We will most likely be offering Science Diet Sensitive Stomach as the alternative, fyi.

Our business model is built around daycare. This means that all dogs enjoy the benefits of the daycare environment all day, and are out in the common area together. They only return to their private kennels to eat and overnight to sleep. As far as the kennels being large enough, minimum is 5'x10', but walls are removable to 10'x10'. No problem there.

They'll have access to the play area all day.

There will be an outdoor play area. We plan to have a 6' chain link fence with privacy strips inserted. This eliminates the possibility of climbing. The gate will remain locked at all times with two mechanisms. Further, when dogs have access to this area they will be supervised at all times.

:iagree:

Great suggestion... duly noted.

Encouraged and appreciated. Especially a blanket from home. Each kennel will have a cot in it for the dogs to sleep, and it's so comforting for them to have a familiar smell from home on their cot. Makes them more relaxed and our job a lot easier!

Yup. All day play.

Lucky Paws will operate as a non-traditional kennel. Basically meaning that all dogs will have access to the common area all day. We know this isn't the solution for everybody, and certainly some dogs cannot be introduced into this environment. However, this environment is appealing to many/most dogs and owners. Each dog will be screened for aggressive behavior before being allowed into the facility, (in addition to vaccination records, current ailments, etc.)

This does not mean that it's just a "dog eat dog" environment, and we will certainly cater to each animals needs the best we can. We won't allow a dog to be picked on or invasive to another dog. This is a supervised environment by people who have experience in dog behavior.

Ultimately you as the dog owner will have to decide if this environment is right for your dog.

Definitely our top priority. We have both worked as Vet-Tech volunteers, have handled hundreds (thousands) of dogs through rescue foster and adoption, and we are working with people locally who are very knowledgeable on dog behaviors. It's a part of our business we feel is very important, and we take it seriously.

We'll go one step further with live webcams for you to observe your dog in the common areas all day long!

I hope that helps you better understand what our plan is. Again, thanks so much for writing. We love all the suggestions we can get. This is a unique business with many variables. Any ideas you share with us help make it better.

 

Excellent! I'll be checking back in and would love a tour when y'all open.

 

I would beg to differ on this issue. I think BoneVoyage is awesome!! They are open all week and their staff is top notch. They offer a variety of services and the following in great. My dogs love to go there, whether it is for day care or boarding. I would not go anywhere else with my dogs.

 

Welcome Lucky Pets! We want to wish you lots of luck with your new business. This line of work can get a little "hairy" at times. If you have any questions or need any advice before you open please give me a call
329-9892. I have learned a lot since opening in 2005 and would be more than happy to help in any way. There are lots of dogs out that way and they need a good kennel in their area. Anyways, let me know if you need anything.

 

We have never had to board our babies but I'm sure at some point in the future we will. I really like the idea of the live webcams and constant supervision. Our chocolate lab is a would-be escape artist and we not boarded him for fear he will get out somehow. He has only known life in our house, the fenced in backyard and trips in the car to the vet. Given a taste of freedom I don't think he would ever come back! And his "sister" our cocker spaniel would probably egg him on!

 

Hi BoneVoyage,

Thank you for the warm welcome and offer of a helping hand. Though we have been business owners for some time now, and involved with dogs quite a bit, we do have many questions going into this new venture. We've been doing as much research as we can, but knowing someone in the business could be invaluable.

I've noticed a lot of posts referencing your establishment and most are from adoring loyal customers. That says something about your business, and we admire that. We hope we can attract a similar type of clientele in the Clayton area.

We look forward to opening our business in the spirit of friendship and cooperation with other kennels, rescue groups, and animal lovers. Though this thread is posted on 4042, our prospective facility is not actually near the namesake as you are. In fact, we are approximately 12 miles away. Many we have spoken with in this area are traveling to Cary or Raleigh for their service as 40/42 is in the opposite direction of their daily commute. We will undoubtedly have some crossover clientele, however our intentions are to service this area, not simply compete with you.

Again, thank you for your post and we look forward to meeting you.

Lucky Paws

 

Hi Luvgoose,

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Quick story about live webcams... As we've mentioned previously in this thread, we recently moved here to North Carolina. When we left our old stomping grounds, we had to leave a dog we were fostering behind. His name was Bo and we'd become particularly attached to him. It was hard to leave him, but Bo is a "poofy mutt" who loves playing in the snow more than anything in the world. We felt it was best for him to stay in the mountains he loved.

After we'd moved, Bo was staying at an awesome rescue friendly open-kennel facility with live web-cams. It was so great to be able to watch him playing, having fun, even napping in the middle of the floor. Mostly it brought us peace and comfort to know he was OK after we'd left him. We kept the web-cam up on the computer, and even started calling it the "Bo Show".

That web-cam brought us so much joy and comfort, we were committed to providing that same peace and comfort to our clients during their travels.

I just couldn't resist sharing this pic of Bo. We had the chance to take him hiking just days before we moved. We're happy to report he's in a loving home now.



We hope we get to meet you and your dogs once we are open. We know they'll have a great time with us!

Keep watching this thread for updates on our progress. Things are starting to come together now. :hurray:

Lucky Paws

 

http://www.4042.com/4042ads/advertise/dir_submission.php

And dont forget ^^^^^ can REALLY get you noticed on the web.

PM webbie about the *space* - seriously, you'll get some web access!!!

Good Luck!

HG

 

Doggy Daycare 40 & 42

FYI:
There are already 2 places there that offer doggy daycare and boarding services. One is literally right at 40 & 42, and the other is a few blocks down the road.

 

1. Perfect location!

2. In this economy, I would not be able to use your services. Sorry, would love to, but I really just can't. I've never used a doggie day care or boarding facility; I was recently thinking about it, but things took another step down for me so right now it's a no. Maybe next year

Just my 2cents for ya.

 

Update on Lucky Paws

Hi Everyone,

First of all, thank you for all the feedback you've offered the past couple months on this thread. We're so grateful for the advice and input from everyone.

We have finalized agreements on our facility and are in the process of renovating (my hands and clothes are covered in paint as I'm writing this - )

We will be located at 2900 US 70 East in Clayton in the facility next to Ram Rent-All. We will be offering boarding for dogs and cats, as well as dog daycare. Our non-profit division will have rescued dogs and cats available for adoption.

The permit process is lengthy since we are just over the Wake County border, however we expect to be opening beginning of December. That just gives us more time to set up and make it awesome!

We know it's tough economic times, but we're optimistic about the future, and about doing business in Clayton. Most of all, we're passionate about animals and are super excited meet you and your beloved pets. We are so impressed with how many animal lovers there are around here. Every time we drive down the 70 we see dog bumper stickers and ICare license plates. :hurray:

Still feel free to post your thoughts on this thread. This is the time we need the most input we can get!

We will keep you updated on our progress including grand opening, new developments, and milestones as we get closer. Until then, we are enjoying our correspondence with you so keep it up!

Thanks again!

Eric & Karen Davis
Lucky Paws

 

Looking forward to another successful business in this area and your advertisements on this website.

 

:iagree::hurray: