The Barstool Fund - K-9 Kingdom
Up next: K-9 Kingdom (Richmond Heights, OH)
K-9 Kingdom, a locally-owned and operated business established in 2003, offers Doggie Daycare where your dog runs free all day in a 4,500 sq. ft., indoor/outdoor facility. In their one-of-a-kind Kennel-Free Boarding, your dog is free to roam and play with their caring staff.
Reader Email
I emailed a video but I would love to tell you the back story about me and K-9 Kingdom as well. In 2003 as a single mom at 45 years old I decided to leave my accounting job to start one of the first locally owned and operated doggie daycare and bakery in Cleveland, OH. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I knew I could do it. My passion was dogs and everything about dogs. I have rescued Newfoundland dogs for over 25 years and continue till this day. I started with just doggie daycare and the bakery, then added on boarding. Nonetheless, not just any boarding, the first free-roam boarding. Yes, no kennels. That is my niche in the market and my clients love this service. I staff 24/7 so the dogs are never left alone. That was and is especially important to me and my clients. Not long after I also added grooming. So, K-9 Kingdom really is a wonderland for dogs.
Business has been good over the last 17 years. I have always showed a small profit from year one. I never had a problem paying the bills. I personally do not take a pay, but I LOVE what I do, and I am happy with where I am. I do bookkeeping/accounting work to cover my personal bills. Now, since COVID-19 hit, there has been no boarding, people are working from home so there is an exceptionally low amount of daycare dogs, so we are in serious jeopardy of closing our doors. I am just devastated that after 17 years that it has come to this. I did receive an SBA loan and that is what I have been using to keep my employees working and my doors open over the last 10 months.
I also use my building to run my Non-Profit CC’s Cupboard Pet Food Pantry that helps feed most of Northeast Ohio families that cannot afford to feed their pets. My building holds the food and supply donations for the Pantry, and this is where the food distribution is held as well. If K-9 Kingdom closes we have no where for the Pantry to go.
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So, as you can see, we need some help until the world gets back to some sense of “normal”. I need people to get back to work and start to travel, then I will be able to keep my doors open and continue to help pet families as well.
Thank you for reading my story and considering K-9 Kingdom for the Barstool Fund.