Dogs Outside the Box:
Canine Day Care has Open Run Areas
By H.M. Cauley
That barking you hear coming from the renovated warehouse on Amsterdam
Avenue isn't dogs going after the mail carrier. They're yaps of joy,
says William Campbell, owner of the 4-month-old Piedmont Bark doggy
daycare center.
A former consultant who worked from his midtown home, Campbell came
up with the idea for a giant canine romper room after an unsuccessful
search for one for his own dog, Sebastian.
"I was used to having my dog at home, but when I started interviewing
for corporate jobs, I had to start looking for doggy daycare,"
Campbell said. "I found some good facilities, but no one really
offered what I wanted: open runs where the dogs don't have to be crated
all day."
Campbell came up with the solution in the 10,000 square ft., climate-controlled
facility next to Piedmont Park's dog run area. The old warehouse was
big enough to accommodate 6,000 indoor square feet for open runs. The
lobby, designed to resemble a brick barbecue pit, looks like the entrance
to a neighbor's big back yard, complete with gazebo, park benches, and
trees.
About the only feature the facility doesn't have is a fireplug. "I've
actually been trying to find one," Campbell said. "I guess
I'll get one sooner or later."
Dog owners can drop off their pets for a day of recreation or for extended
overnight stays. Pets are welcome for even a few hours, to be placed
in play groups with dogs of similar size, age, and temperament. Grooming
services are available, and tubs with power sprays, shampoo, towels,
and hair dryers are available for do-it-yourself owners.
All-inclusive rates range from $5 an hour to $20 per day, or $30 for
24 hours. Extended stays are priced accordingly. Reductions are offered
for more than one dog.
On Friday, the facility hosts a fund-raiser for Pets Are Loving Support,
or PALS. Owners and their dogs are invited to drop in from 6 to 8 p.m.
for music and treats for a $10 donation.
"We did our first fund-raiser last month, and it drew more than
200 people," Campbell said. "It started as a way for our
customers to meet the parents of other dogs, because for a lot of
these people, their dogs are their children."
For more details,
call 404-873-5400.
By H.M. Cauley
May 8, 2003
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