pennyIt’s the summertime, the busiest time of the year for anyone who boards dogs. Who on earth would be stupid enough to pick this time of year to move??

Ummmm, well….that’d be us, actually!

We know the timing is crazy, we know its a huge job, and we know that there’s going to be some major disruption, however, sometimes you just know it’s the right thing to do.
For years now, I have been working with dogs, both as a behavior counsellor and taking care of them while their parents are away on vacation….and I’ve learned a few things.
I have learned that dogs want freedom…of movement, of choice and of self expression.
I have learned that when we give dogs the framework and support to safely make their own decisions, they mostly make good ones.
I have learned that dogs learn vicariously and experientially……. to see what happens, feel what happens; the curious mind and adventurous spirit of a dog is not only a joy for us humans to behold, but it is the very thing that drives them.
And yet, some dogs never get to experience life off leash…… Some dogs never get to dig holes, run around in circles with their friends til they get dizzy with excitement or know the joy of the teamwork that builds from a pack endeavor like chasing chipmunks or rabbits.
When dogs go to sleep, do they dream of being leash walked? Or do they dream of delving into woods and trees or diving into the waters of a babbling brook? Watch your dog while hes dreaming and you just know hes chasing rabbits in his sleep…………
Peter and I had a blueprint in our head right from the start of the kind of place we wanted DD to be. We wanted a place where dogs could run in a meadow, swim to their hearts content, chase butterflies, relax in the shade when they were tired and enjoy woodland walks…all offleash.

We wanted them to have comfy chairs and beds, humans on hand at all times, great tasting holistic food with fresh meat and vegetables, massages and cuddles as often as required….. and love on tap 24/7.

But all of this not just for the dogs who were lucky enough to belong to loving owners who would bring their dogs here, but also for the dogs who had been cast aside. The dogs who have given years of service to their owners, only to be given up because they were ‘moving to Florida’ or ‘getting divorced’ or ‘the kids are too busy with soccer’…..the list of reasons goes on and on, and just gets worse and worse.

The DD family has always been about not just boarding dogs; every single one of us in this company is involved in rescue or shelter work, and our dream was to set up a shelter where we could take in the senior dogs that no one else wanted, and give them a place to find peace, love and serenity until they were either adopted or passed over the Rainbow Bridge.

The new DD Ranch gives us space and opportunity to do just that.
We have a much larger space, with 11 acres, where the dogs, when it is fully fenced, will be able to enjoy acres of woods, a swim hole adventure, or a romp in the meadow. We are still sticking to our policy of guest dogs being housed with us in our home, so that we can hear them and get to them if they need us, but we also have a separate building where we can build our shelter and take in those senior dogs that we long to help.
“Frankie and Andy’s Place” will be the realization of a long held dream, not just for us at DD, but also for the lucky senior dogs that will get to live there. Their retirement days will be golden, quiet and stress free with as much freedom, sunshine and comfort as they can handle.
We want to thank all of you, our wonderful clients, who have supported us over the last 8 years, and who have, in doing so, provided the funds that have enabled us to help as many dogs as we have.
By choosing DD to board your dogs or rehab your dogs, you have helped fund our rescue and probono work.

We are ready to take this leap, huge though it is, and step it up a notch, do a bit more, save a few more, make a little more difference if we can…and we hope you are too. x