Gurnee gets posh day-care for pooches
Dogs are about to get the canine version of a Westin or Four Seasons hotel in Gurnee.
Who's Your Puppy? is being billed as an upscale kennel and day-care center for dogs and is expected to open before Jan. 15 in the Gurnee Business Center on Ambrogio Drive, northwest of Washington Street and Route 41.
Four-star treatment should await dogs at Who's Your Puppy? Plans call for 21 private suites with cable television on LCD monitors, orthopedic beds and speakers for soothing music.
Owner Denise Heelan said the amenities are not over the top.
"I think it's much less stressful when you provide dogs with a homelike setting instead of cages," Heelan said Wednesday.
Who's Your Puppy? also will offer aromatherapy skin and paw treatments, daily brushing, holistic healing and full salon services.
Heelan said nearly $300,000 has been spent on the Who's Your Puppy? space in the Gurnee Business Center. The costs included a new heating and cooling system and rubber flooring.
"It's exciting," Heelan told Gurnee village board members this week after gaining final approval. "I don't think I've spared any expense."
Who's Your Puppy? will be different than other operations for its day-care services, Heelan said. Human interaction with the dogs will be an integral part of the daily routine, she said, allowing staffers to form bonds.
Owners skittish about what's happening with their dogs will be able to log onto the Internet and check the business' Web cameras focused on the play area.
"Pet care has changed dramatically," Heelan said in a proposal to Gurnee officials, "and cages simply won't do."
Village trustees approved altering a village ordinance so a kennel and pet day-care facility may be permitted special uses in the Gurnee Business Center. The trustees than gave a thumbs-up to Who's Your Puppy?
Gurnee Trustee Hank Schwarz said he was satisfied that noise from the dogs and waste shouldn't be a problem for the business.
Heelan said dogs 50 pounds and lighter are the target demographic for Who's Your Puppy? Larger breeds must pass an aggression test and will be placed in their own areas, if accepted.
"We separate dogs by size and temperament," Heelan said. "Then, if there is an incident, it's a fair fight."
She also plans to undercut bare-bones kennels and day-care places in price. For example, she might charge $25 for an overnight stay.