Latest Rt. 28 Hotel Going to the Dogs – As Planned

By LIBBY CUDMORE

HARTWICK SEMINARY

Drop off your dog at Dog Wild’s “doggie hotel” before you go on vacation, and the hard part may be getting Fido to come home.

“It’s a homelike environment,” said owner Dana Rice. “There’s no chain link, no runs – each dog has their own little room so they can relax and have a good time.”

She and her husband, Ray Ouellet, owners of the Dog Wild Canine Supply Store here, bought the Route 28 house and lot two years ago, and the former Bassett “blue shirt” has been doing all the construction himself.

“We want to bring back the old oak floors,” he said. “I wouldn’t want my dogs staying in a place with wire and concrete. People will feel like they’re walking their dog into their own living room.”

It’s part of a new, more holistic approach to boarding animals, much like Breezy Acres in Burlington Flats and Mossy Creek in Cherry Valley.

The hotel will have 16 rooms for vacationing dogs, as well as common areas, four play yards and a live-in caretaker housed on the second floor. “It helps take the stress off,” said Ouellet. “When dogs get stressed, they chew at themselves and furniture.”

There’s no denying that being dropped off in an unknown environment can be stressful for dogs, and can cause separation anxiety in both pets and owners. Even with the homely and welcoming surroundings that Dana and Ray are enforcing to create a relaxed experience for dogs, the separation can be just too challenging. There are options to take your dog on vacation with you, with camping being a popular option for families and their dogs. You can learn more about camping with your dog at www.techiecamper.com, but for those of us wanting to spend some time under the sun, the “doggie hotel” is your best option. As difficult as it may be, rest assured that your dog will receive excellent care that goes above and beyond.

They moved to Cooperstown in 2002, where Ray worked at Bassett and Dana was the assistant director at the Glimmerglass Opera.

But it had always been Dana’s dream to own a dog supply store and in 2006, Ray offered her this: “I quit my job and told her I would devote myself full-time to her store,” he said. “A month later, we were open in the Doubleday Court.”

In 2008 they moved to the Maple Ridge location, but they’re planning to move the business down to a new building next door to the hotel, with a grand re-opening in June. “We’re going to have fish food, equine supplies, things customers asked for but that we didn’t carry,” he said. “My customers know that if it’s in my store, I did the research – no wheat, no corn, no dyes or by-products. If you want to buy junk, you have to go to the supermarket.”

The retail portion of the store will be downstairs, while upstairs will host a utility space to be used for training classes, adoption says and doggie daycare.

“Maybe even dog birthday parties,” added Rice.

They’re also looking to have three groomers on staff, and possibly a members-only dog park behind the store. “There’s no dog park in the area,” said Oulette. “We have to make it members only, or we’ll be swamped.”

They hope the hotel will be open and taking canine clients in late summer. “We want the dogs to relax and have a good time,” said Rice. “We’re full-service dog.”