Nakita hurried out of the climate-controlled nursery, hoping to go for a walk. A television monitor showed her babies, all eight of them, peacefully napping amid the furrows of soft bedding.
This is dog day care at Kelly Canine Zone.
Although the German shepherd Nakita is a special case - she belongs to company president Sean Kelly - all the dogs there have their own "rooms," with toys, beds, treats, food and water. They have regular rest periods and play times alone or in groups based on size and activity level to keep them happy while their owners are at work.
The dogs here also are bathed, their ears cleaned and their toenails trimmed. Some are given prescribed medications. Others even get obedience training.
Kelly and his partner, vice president Gavin Nagatomo, bought the business in February in an asset purchase agreement for $1, tax-free.
The deal allowed the new owners to step right into the business, assuming all its liabilities and obligations. It also allowed the former owners to write off the value of the business as a loss.
"The (previous) owners had been in business seven months and were ready to walk away from it," Kelly said. "I wasn't in a position to buy it from them to recoup what they had put into it.
"We closed Feb. 28, and the rent was due the next day."
In the first three months, the partners invested $77,000 in new equipment and renovations. Improvements to the 3,500-square-foot building are ongoing, Kelly said. The 4,000-square-foot play area outside needs some fencing repairs and landscaping, he said.
"This month, we'll make a profit for the first time," he said.
Kelly, 24, a Pinellas County native, was looking for a new career when he learned through a business broker that the dog day care business was available.
His background was in plastics manufacturing, a profession that took him to China for General Motors. After returning from China, he took some time off to relax and, during that time, decided to go out on his own. He resigned his job in August.
He said he talked to a friend who is a business broker about wanting to work for himself, and when he got the call about the canine day care business, "I was definitely interested," he said. The broker "sees me out in my yard all the time time playing with my dogs."
Kelly's research also told him that it might be a good business. Americans will spend an average of $460 each on pets this year. The pet products industry represents a $29-billion-a-year market.
Canine day care is one of the fastest growing trends in the pet industry. Americans spent about $500-million on dog day care last year, Kelly's research shows.
The business opened with a client base of 84 and in three months increased to 220 customers, Kelly said. Clients pay from $11 for a half-day of day care to $420 for a 30-day day care package.
On an average day, there are 16 dogs of varying sizes, breeds and ages in day care, Kelly said. Facility and operations manager Matt Gregorcy is trained in canine behavior in general and among different breeds.
"No matter how much we plan and try to structure a routine here, the dogs change that," Kelly said. "It's different every day."
In addition to day care, the business provides boarding and boarding with day care activities. Boarding ranges from $16 a night for one to five nights and $15.20 for six to 14 nights. Boarding with day care for one to five nights costs $32 a night.
The purpose of day care, Kelly said, is to "provide stimulation, exercise, socialization and, in some cases, training for dogs that might otherwise be left home alone during the day."
By the end of a busy day of activities, the dog will be ready to go home - as tired as their owners.
- For more information about Kelly Canine Zone, visit www.caninezone.com
Kelly Canine Zone
1590 Seminole Blvd., Largo
Canine day care, boarding, training and bathing services
Seven employees
"We picked up a very good opportunity that had failed" - president Sean Kelly
