 "Photo: Karen Ingram")
A hectic schedule of school, work and extracurricular activities can take its toll on the average college student over time, but many people do not think about how it can affect their pets. Dogs in particular can become bored or depressed if left alone all day. There also is the dilemma of whether to leave the dog inside or outside. Inside, you risk accidents and the dog will be bored being cooped up all day. Outside, you risk testing quirky Kansas weather.
Luckily, there is another option. Howl-A-Dayz Inn is a doggie day care center that has been in operation in Manhattan since 2006. Owner Kelly Neel had worked in a doggy day care center in Colorado, and when she moved back to Manhattan, she saw a need in the area.
“I didn’t see anybody else in the area doing doggy day care or cage-free boarding,” Neel said. “From my experience in working in facilities like this, I knew that it was a nice concept and something that most dogs would enjoy.”
Neel does not use leashes and prefers to let the dogs roam in the play area freely, so there are rules and procedures for accepting new dogs. Dogs must be spayed or neutered and up-to-date on all vaccinations. They must also undergo a personality evaluation to ensure they have the right disposition for joining in the group. Newcomers are introduced to the play area slowly.
There is a fence that separates the playroom into two sections. Newcomers stay segregated from the main group but can interact with them through the bars. Once the staff is satisfied that the new dog will have no trouble, the dog joins the group and is monitored diligently. At any given time, there are between 30 and 40 dogs in the play area. Neel has had as many as 60 at one time. She says there is room for more, but 60 is the limit for reasons of crowd control.
Staff members check the playroom about every 20 minutes to keep the floor clean and to make sure the dogs are not getting bored or restless. They play with the dogs, rotating the types of toys used to keep them engaged and challenged. Balls and bubbles are very popular choices.
Discipline is typically enforced by verbal reprimand. If the dog does not respond, noisemakers, such as an air horn, can be used to distract it. If necessary, a 10-minute “time-out” in the kennel is used.
Howl-A-Dayz Inn also offers boarding, in case you need to leave your dog overnight or for a weekend. Neel says the longest a dog has been left in their care was one month. They also offer other services, such as grooming, and Neel’s prior experience as a vet technician comes in handy for any dogs with special needs, like diabetes.
Another service the inn offers is free of charge: a webcam. From the Howl-A-Dayz Inn Web site, anyone can observe the action in the playroom. This allows owners to check on their dogs and feel connected to them. It also lets them observe the interactions between the staff and the dogs.
Neel estimates that about one third of her clientele are K-State students and faculty. Some people use the facility several times a week, while others only use it once or twice a month. Clients appreciate the flexibility of the facility.
“I really admire what Kelly has done,” said Sarah Barkley, senior in animal sciences and industry and employee at Howl-A-Dayz Inn. “Without an off-leash dog park, there aren’t a lot of places you can take your dog to burn off energy.”
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