Rebecca Cross

Meridian, MS (USA)
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A & R Kennels

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Location: Meridian
Industry: Agriculture
Year Founded: 2009
Number Employees: 1-10 people
Description: A & R Kennels will provide space for 40 dogs and 20 cats. Basic boarding rates will begin at $20 per day, per animal. All dogs will be provided with their own 4' x 6' kennel space with enclosed private outdoor 6' x 10' dog run. Facilities will include a 1 acre fenced play yard with a “swimming hole” for large dogs. The cat area will be a separate enclosed area with climbing shelves, separate sleeping areas, and a large bay window for “watching the world go by”. There are 4 boarding facilities within a 30 mile radius of the proposed site, not including vet offices and animal hospitals. Only 2 of these accepts large dogs. These facilities have room for between 10 and 15 dogs each. The play areas are very small, averaging 10' x 15', and none have indoor play areas. Prices range from $15 - $18 per day, per animal. A minimum of two 30 minute supervised play times will be scheduled for all animals each day, including both group and individual play. A large indoor play area is included in the plans so even in inclement weather, all animals will still get their play time. Of the 4 existing kennels in the area, 2 require that the owner bring their own food for their pet. A & R Kennels will offer 3 different choices of premium food, or the owner may provide their own, with an appropriate discount given. 2 daily treats will be included with the boarding service. A & R Kennels will also have an on site grooming service. All dogs will receive a basic bath on departure day, to be included with the boarding service, but owners will have the option to have a full grooming provided with a discount for boarders. A & R Kennels has already secured the promise of services from a local veterinary clinic to provide 24/7 emergency vet coverage, as well as weekly on site inspections. Again, no other facility in this area offers this service. With the addition of this service, A & R Kennels will be able to offer care for “special needs” animals. This will include those with medication issues, those pets with health issues (such as seizures, diabetes, etc). This clinic also boards animals at this time, but has stated that when A & R Kennels opens, they will cease boarding and send all referrals to A & R Kennels . A & R Kennels has numerous long term plans to benefit both the individual client and the community at large. A) After six months of operation, A & R Kennels will be eligible to apply for Pet Care Services Association Certification. The Voluntary Facilities Accreditation (VFA) program provides pet care facilities the opportunity to demonstrate their compliance to a comprehensive set of industry established standards and earn accreditation from the Pet Care Services Association. The program contains over 250 standards in 17 separate areas of pet care facility operations, management, and customer service. Developed by the Pet Care Services Association, formerly American Boarding Kennel Association, the standards reflect the views of facility operators, veterinarians, pet owners and humane organizations representing the "state of the art" in animal care and management. No boarding facility in the state of Mississippi has obtained this accreditation. The closest certified facilities are located in Alexandria, LA, and Knoxville, TN. A & R Kennels feels that obtaining this level of excellence will show our commitment to the welfare of our clients and establish us as the premiere boarding facility in the state. B) Within 6 – 12 months of operations, A & R Kennels will open a “doggy day care” and a “puppy day care”. The “doggy day care” program will provide those pets whose owners do not wish to leave them alone all day an opportunity to have some time with other dogs in their size range to play with. This will also encourage socialization in pets. This service can be scheduled based on the individual needs of the pet and client and could be as little as one day a week or as many as five days per week. The “puppy day care” is a specialized service offered for dogs aged 6 weeks to 6 months. Primarily for those clients who work outside the home, this service will provide a safe, healthy environment where puppies will learn to socialize with other pets, learn coping skills for dealing with other people, and learn such basic skills as “house training”, simple commands, and leash walking. C) Within 12 – 18 months of operations, A & R Kennels will open a public dog park. The plan includes development of 4-5 acres of the property, to include walking trails, a central dog pond with fountain, a large grassy area for play, and an agility course. The plan also includes park benches and picnic tables. The entire area will be fenced in for safety, and all users of the park will be required to check in and sign a liability release form. Although the dog park will be offered free to the public, A & R Kennels will ask for donations to help offset cost of upkeep. D) Within 12 – 24 months of operations, “web cams” will be added to the website. This will afford pet owners the opportunity to check in on their pet while they are away. Clients will be given a password to the website that will allow them to observe their pet anytime, day or night. This will also be used as a quality control component of A & R Kennels commitment to providing the best care possible to our clients.