By July, summer dog boarding options in Asheville are rare for those without reservations, and booking for the winter holidays is already well underway.
Luckily for Asheville dog owners, the new Central Bark dog day care, opening this winter, will allow for registration in roughly two months.
The dog day care and boarding location, under construction now at 4 Regent Park Blvd., will be the 39th location in the Central Bark franchise. Business owner and dog lover Emily Fenster said she is aware that the options for dog boarding are slim during summer and winter months, and said she hopes to add something special to Asheville boarding and dog day care options.
“My wife and I moved here just about a year ago, and one reason we chose Asheville was there was a shortage of dog care here,” Fenster said. “We ourselves have two dogs. Our dogs have been on the waitlist at about three different dog day cares in the area since we moved here, and they still don’t have anywhere to go. So by us coming here, we figure we can help out the community in services that they obviously need.”
Their model provides a broad range of services including boarding, day care, grooming, retail and training. But in the end, what sold the Central Bark franchise for Fenster was its high expectations for quality of care.
“I was paramedic for over 10 years,” Fenster said. “And one reason why I chose this franchise was the safety factor.”
Fenster said that Central Bark not only requires all staff members to be certified in pet CPR and first aid, but the day care also caps dog playgroups at a maximum of 12 animals to prevent gaps in supervision and unsafe play. Once the booking process begins in about two months, Central Bark will provide free evaluations for owners who make reservations, allowing them to place each dog with a playgroup that best matches its personality.
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A scarcity of dog boarding in a dog-friendly city like Asheville can serve as a frustrating obstacle to vacationers hoping to find a comfortable place to board their furry friends. For example, Happy Tails Country Club told us it had no boarding availability until mid-August, and You Work I’ll Play took a quick look at its waitlist and said it was roughly four pages in length. Multiple locations also told the Citizen Times that factors like larger dogs and longer stays can also prevent boarders from finding care.
This lack of space is partially seasonal, with not enough boarding availability for the demand caused by vacations and holidays. Fenster said that zoning in Asheville isn’t helping, either. She said she found only three zones in Asheville that allow kennels, and many spaces were occupied by other businesses or so close to the river that they feared flood damage.
“Our biggest thing was zoning and finding a plot of land that, you know, we could build on and be able to offer about just shy of 7,000 square feet for dogs,” Fenster said.
After their six-month search for the perfect location, Fenster has finally broken ground and is on track to open Central Bark’s doors this winter. Now, Fenster’s message is clear and confident.
“We’re different, special, and better for a reason — and that’s on purpose,” Fenster said in a follow-up email to the Citizen Times. “We’re in the process of building out our nearly 7,000 sq. ft. indoor space and 3,000 sq. ft. outdoor space facility featuring both small and large playgroups in indoor and outdoor play areas where your dog can enjoy the social environment that’s right for their age, personality, and comfort level. With socialization, mental stimulation, and physical exercise, their minds and bodies can remain healthy and happy for a lifetime. Our focus on canine enrichment aims to enhance your dog’s overall quality of life through fun and rewarding activities that encourage them to use their senses to problem solve, learn new skills, and gain confidence.”
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Iris Seaton is a news intern for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
