Business Spotlight on Hello, Doggie! Daycare

By Gayle Plummer

If the words “Hello Dolly!” bring fun, happy thoughts and feelings to mind, then all pet owners will be glad to know there is such an experience for their dogs right here in the community.  Hello, Doggie! Daycare is very much like a fun, safe and stimulating theater production or an upbeat summer camp experience for your dog. Located on 1311 Roosevelt Trail, Raymond, new owner Shannon Oliver guarantees that your pet will have a positive and healthy experience when away from home. Whether your pet is there for daycare or training – they will enjoy lots of love, lots of fun and some very serious care.

Shannon has worked professionally with dogs for the last five years in both daycare and boarding environments. She worked at Jordan Bay Dog Daycare, at the same location, when the opportunity came for her to take over the business. Shannon’s mission statement comes from her belief that dogs deserve a safe, healthy and stimulating social environment.

“My dogs are the largest inspiration for me – I wanted to create a safe, stimulating environment and offer a service where I would want my dogs to spend their time, if I were ever away. A place I would feel confident in. What would I want my dogs to do during the day or overnight? These questions are what really fueled our policies.”

Shannon’s goal is to set a higher standard for her pet daycare/boarding facility. She firmly believes that, “. . . your dog deserves 24/7 supervision when you are away” and maintains a dog-to-staff ratio of 10:1. Staff sleeping overnight in the same room as the clients’ un-kenneled dogs is a service unlike any other in the area. “We strive to provide an environment for dogs that is second only to their real home! We offer individualized care to meet your dogs’ needs and update owners as often as they like with photos and videos of their dogs’ stay. My business goals center around providing the community with a place they can trust their dogs to be loved and cared for in their absence or during their work day; all while doing our best to strengthen the owner-pet bond.”

Shannon Oliver and friend

As part of the team, Shannon has added Certified Trainer, Chris Ford (ABCDT and AKC CGC & S.T.A.R. Puppy Evaluator) to the team. “We are able to provide both private training and group lessons to dog owners in our community. We are offering the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Course as well as three classes that, when completed in succession, prepare owners and their dogs for the Canine Good Citizen Test. We simply want to offer better services to all dogs out there. I would like to see our training offerings continue to expand in the future,” Shannon says.

“I am a huge fan of the arts, having performed with local community theaters since high school.  A couple of my recent appearances were as Carrie White in Lyric Music Theater’s production of “Carrie” and as Jo March in their production of “Little Women”. “Hello, Dolly!” was the first community theater musical I was part of through Lake Region Community Theater and it changed my life for the better. My two largest loves are animals and theater. When I came up with our name, it was the best combination of the two things. I really wanted a unique name and setup to separate us from other dog centers. I do have dreams of Hello, Doggie! one day being able to contribute largely to the local arts community.”

Hello, Doggie! Daycare website demonstrates Shannon’s love of the arts, as she has incorporated many little theatrical features into her business. For example, Shannon has named her potential dog guests as “cast members”; her pricing is described as “Show” (full day of daycare), “Matinee” (half day of daycare) and “One Act” (up to 2.5 hours of daycare). She refers to her team as “Stage Hands” and she sincerely wants all of her “cast” to enjoy their experience.

Certainly that seems to be the case. Shannon requires an “audition” for all potential guests. This is a half-day visit to the daycare so all new dogs can become acclimated to the new environment, the staff and other dogs. Shannon offers flexible pricing and package deals along with combo-pricing for multiple dogs. All dogs must have up-to-date vaccinations and all pets are to have DHLPP (distemper combo), Rabies and Bordetella.

When one enters the building, it is immediately obvious that the sounds you hear are happy, positive, fun sounds coming from all the dogs. There was no whining, crying or aggressive barking to be heard; only lots of friendly barks and very good energy emanating through the building.

To contact Hello Doggie! Daycare please visit their website at: www.hellodoggiedaycare.com

Email: info@hellodoggiedaycare.com or call: 655-6521. Hours are: Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.