The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Luxury pet spa, boarding facility opens
Business offers indoor play yards, pet ‘suites’ with webcam
Whitney Callahan was faced with a big decision about 15 years ago.
Her employer — a boutique consulting firm — was closing its Cleveland office and she had the choice to relocate her family to Washington, D.C., or take her severance package.
Her husband asked her what she wanted to do, and she said, “something where I can take my dog to work.”
He encouraged her to follow her dream, and she did just that, opening her first Inn the Doghouse luxury pet spa and socialized boarding facility on the Lakewood-Cleveland border.
She recently opened her second location in Mentor, filling an empty 7,200-square-foot building at 7420 Tyler Blvd.
The facility offers 32 high-speed webcams for real-time viewing 24/7, three indoor play yards for dogs of different sizes and personalities, and four outdoor areas with Pet Grass.
In addition, clients can choose from several large “traditional” boarding accommodations or 17 “suites” with names like Morley Mansion and Squires Castle. There also are three 5-by-5-foot “kitty condos” complete with climbing “trees” on which to perch and look out of large windows.
“Gone are the days when dogs stayed in the backyard,” Callahan said. “Now they sleep in their owners’ beds; they are a part of the family. People are spending money on their dogs like they are their children. They want to take them to pet resorts and for them to be socialized and stay active. Pet care has definitely evolved.”
When you walk in the lobby, you feel like you’ve walked into a home with its bright, modern decor and hardwood laminate flooring.
She is obviously filling a niche. Her more established location in Lakewood averages 70 dogs a day and had a waiting list for Thanksgiving weekend. Her newly opened Mentor site housed 14 dogs and four cats during that time.
Inn The Doghouse currently employs 28 people she’s still hiring - and was one of the first dog daycares in Northeast Ohio.
The business is a member of the International Boarding and Pet Sitting Association and the Dog Gurus, and provides extensive ongoing education to team members, Callahan said. She and staff strive to keep the facility clean and sanitary throughout the day.
“Inn the Doghouse provides a professional and pristine environment for Mentor-area dog owners for short-term and extended pet care,” said Mentor Economic Development Director Kevin Malecek.
In May, Mentor Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional-use permit to allow the use in a manufacturingzoned district.
Callahan said she chose Mentor for several reasons, such as the high population of dogs as well as people, and the building’s easy access to the freeway.
“It’s a community that we feel loves dogs and wants another option,” she said.
Once dogs have had a behavioral evaluation by a trained “canine concierge,” they are welcome to play in day care 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Pets must meet vaccination, age and spay/neuter requirements. On weekends, the facility offers pick-up and drop-offs hours of boarding guests and limited playtime.
Prices range from $18 for a half-day of day care to $460 for a 20-day package.