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Veterinarian Gerald Carey co-owns Blue Springs Animal Hospital
and Pet Resort, which offers luxury accommodations for pampered
pooches and fancy felines. Rob Hill photo
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Dog’s Life?
By John Beahler
They say that every dog has its day, but Gerald
Carey’s four-legged clientele can expect a tail-wagging
good time every day they spend in his pet resort and day-care
center in Blue Springs, Mo.
Carey, BS Ag ’66, DVM ’68, and
his partner, Joseph Rodier, BS Ag ’78, DVM ’82, at
the Blue Springs
Animal Hospital and Pet Resort provide the most up-to-date
medical services, from laser surgery to ultrasound diagnostic
techniques. They’ve also created a hostelry that is much
more than just a boarding kennel.
There’s the resort’s Canine Camp,
for example, where pooches relax in a swimming pool after a hard
afternoon playing fetch with camp “counselors.” Feline
clients can remain properly aloof in their own “condo”
in Kitty City, where windows look out over an array of bird feeders.
For dogs, accommodations include 5-by-8 cabins
with individual televisions and webcams that let owners check
in on their critters over the Internet. There are two-hour indoor
play sessions twice a day, during which the staff pays special
attention to dogs too shy to roughhouse with bigger dogs. The
resort even has a salon area with three full-time groomers.
On a fully booked weekend, they will care
for 100 dogs and 20 cats. Is this demand fueled by guilt-stricken
pet owners making amends for leaving Fido behind? “I’m
sure that’s part of it,” Carey says. “Over the
years, I think the expectations of pet owners have increased.
I think there’s a demand for a better type of boarding.”
There have to be some limits to the pampering
Carey’s furry guests receive. They won’t find a biscuit
placed on their turned-down doggie bed each night, and there is
no canine concierge. Carey and Rodier have to balance the premium
care they provide with the demands of running a business.
Some owners, Carey says, drop off their pets
with a laundry list of care instructions that can run for pages.
He and Rodier also face some business headaches that human hoteliers
couldn’t imagine. There’s the wear and tear on equipment,
for example. They started out with an inventory of brand-new toddler
beds. “We thought it was a great idea. Unfortunately, the
mattresses have a pretty short life,” Carey says. “Some
dogs,” he explains sadly, “are chewers.” And
the staff members who supervise play sessions have to watch their
steps. “The first 15 minutes always seem to turn into glorious
major poop sessions,” Carey says.
Still, the idea of a pet resort combined with
the latest in veterinary care is paying off for the Blue Springs
veterinary team. “Our concept is total pet care in one location,”
Carey says.
Note: This story was published originally
in the summer 2005 issue of MIZZOU magazine.
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