Most people who have fur babies love them as members of the family and are very particular about how they are cared for. Some become stressed when trying to find someone to take care of their dogs when they have to travel out of town for any extended period of time.
Brooke and Ben Ivy recognized the need for those who need someone to take care of their dogs and have recently opened Ivy League Boarding Kennels as a solution.
“We’ve always loved animals and have talked about it before, but it just never happened. Then, some things happened this past year, and we really just wanted to do something and hopefully have a concrete something for our kids to maybe do in the future,” explained Brooke. “One of our reasons for starting this business is because we could see a need for it in our county. We’ve used Thomas Boarding Kennels and they do a great job, but they stay booked up because of such a strong demand. This would provide the county with another boarding kennel and help with that demand.”
They plan for the boarding kennel to be a place of enjoyment for all the dogs who stay there and intend to love and care for each pet as their own.
“Each animal will be taken care of just like it’s one of our own,” proclaimed Ben. “Our goal is for you to come pick up your dog and the dog not want to go with you. We want the dogs to want to stay here.”
They have arranged accommodations for the dogs that would allow them to be safe and comfortable, no matter what time of year it is.
“We have 26 kennels, and they have the inside/outside access through a doggy door. They have a gated, bigger play area on each side for them to run around and play during the day,” described Brooke. “The inside kennels are climate controlled, and the outside has a lean to so that they’ll be shaded. We’ll let them out several times a day to play, and they will always be monitored while they play.”
Families who have multiple dogs are able to request that their pets stay together in the same kennel if they would like. Only pets who live in the same household would share kennels.
“The kennels can hold more than one dog as long as those dogs live together. We will not put any strange dogs in a kennel together,” stated Ben. “As soon as all 26 kennels book up, we wouldn’t be able to take any more dogs until another kennel is available.”
In order to alleviate confusion involving drop-off and pick-up, they have scheduled specific times; however, they are willing to work with and schedule alternate times with anyone who is not able to make it during the scheduled times for a small fee.
“We will have drop off and pick up hours: Monday-Friday will be 10:00-11:30 a.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday will be from 9:00-11:00 a.m., and we’re closed on Sundays to drop-off and pick-ups,” said Brooke. “We will do drop off and pickup by appointment if it’s outside of those hours, but there will be a onetime $15 fee. We’re just trying to keep down the confusion on drop off and pick up.”
The first time a pet stays, the owner will be asked to fill out some paperwork so that they can learn about the dog and be able to better care for it in the owner’s absence.
“We will have some paperwork that we want the owner to fill out so that we can find out about the puppy and their contact information,” expressed Brooke. “We want to find out about any allergies, how often they eat, if they have any behavior stuff we need to know about, and just anything to help us find out more about the dog.”
While they will have the items they need to take care of each dog, there are some things that the owner will need to bring. There are also some different things that the owners can bring to help their pets be more comfortable in the new environment.
“We have dog cots. People would need to bring their dogs’ vaccine records with them. They would also need to bring any kind of treats or food their dog likes because we don’t want any upset stomachs,” declared Brooke. “We will have food on hand if we need it, but changing food like that could cause them to have upset stomachs. If they have a favorite toy, bed, or blanket they can bring that as well if they want to.”
They know that some pet owners may be concerned and want updates while they are away, and the boarding kennel is willing to accommodate by sending pictures and messages if the owner requests it.
“If people want pictures of their puppy while they’re gone, we’ll get all that information before they leave and provide that service for people who want to see pictures of their dogs,” stated Brooke.
There will also be other services offered at the kennels.
“We will offer a shampooing service, and we would charge by weight. If the dog is not being boarded, we would do it by appointment only, so they would need to call and set up an appointment for that with me,” explained Brooke. “We will keep dogs clean while they are boarded. If they get dirty or soiled, they will be bathed. We will charge for baths before pickup if requested by owners.”
Ivy League Boarding Kennels has a convenient location for anyone travelling. They are only a mile and a half from city limits, located at 1789 CR 140 in Quitman, MS.
“We’re located only about two miles or less from both Quitman and Highway 45, so it’s very easy access to get to us when going on a trip,” declared Ben.
Their rates are based on the size of the dog. If a family has multiple dogs staying in the same kennel, then the largest dog would be full price with each additional dog costing half the rate for its weight. The rates are as follows:
• Small(0-30lbs) is $20 a night.
• Medium(30-60 lbs) $25/night.
• Large (60+) will be $30.
They have already started accepting bookings. Anyone interested in booking with Ivy League Boarding Kennels can do so by messaging them on their Facebook page or by calling or texting 601-527-1437.
