Day care goes to the dogs

At Maritime Pet Kennel, canine kids escape the boredom of waiting for human parents to come home.

By KATHERINE GAZELLA

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 4, 2000

TARPON SPRINGS -- Inside a nondescript strip shopping center on U.S. 19, there is a spacious, toy-filled room where youngsters run every which-way.

In one corner, Stella plays with her friend Bailey. Skylar and Bonnie play-fight while nearby, Buddy sinks his teeth into a spongy red ball. Watching over them all, Bill and Kelly Conway praise each with an occasional pat on the head.

"They're like our surrogate little kids," Conway said. But they are dogs, from cute little terriers to burly Irish wolfhounds. And this is doggie day care, a daily getaway for dozens of dogs whose owners drive from as far away as Hernando County and southern St. Petersburg.

For the dogs, Maritime Pet Kennel is a home away from home, a place to escape boredom and the temptation they might feel to chew the sofa if left alone.

The Conways began the business in 1997 with a focus on dog training. Day care was a small part of the business, but it quickly exploded in popularity.

Today, they have about 35 to 40 dogs in day care each day. Other places in the Tampa Bay area allow dogs to stay for the day, but most board the animals instead of letting them run freely all day, Mrs. Conway said.

At Maritime, dogs romp, chew on plastic toys, chase each other and go on outdoor walks three times a day.

People have come to rely on the day care, and many bring their dogs every weekday, when the center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cost is $18 a day or $70 for the work week. The center is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday.

In addition to the regular customers, some people bring their dogs in a few days a week or an occasional Saturday while they run errands, paint the living room or try to sell their house.

"We closed one day last year and we thought we were going to be lynched," Mrs. Conway said.

Their day care center is so popular that regular clients drive from southern St. Petersburg and Brooksville every day. Some dogs are turned away because they are too aggressive; others are turned away because there simply isn't space inside the storefront business, which can accommodate 35 to 40 dogs a day.

Last year, Bruce Labell started taking Bailey, his chocolate Labrador, to day care for a few half-days each week. But Bailey began to count on going to day care and would stare at his leash every morning. Labell, a salesman who lives in Palm Harbor, now takes 18-month-old Bailey to day care every weekday.

"It's like a child. Every day he goes to school and learns and interacts with other dogs," Labell said.

His comparison of the doggie day care to a school is not far-fetched. Indeed, the day care bears a remarkable resemblance to high school.

Several dogs have formed cliques. The Labradors tend to stick together, as do some other breeds. Other dogs form unlikely pairings: a German shepherd mix and an Irish wolfhound have become close, and a sheep dog and a Labrador regularly fall asleep together.

On the front counter, the photos of several dogs are displayed in a folder, similar to the cardboard display cases that high school seniors use for their class photographs.

Much like schoolchildren, many of the dogs have trendy names. A contemporary elementary school classroom might be filled with students named Brittany and Amanda. In doggie day care, Bailey is the name of choice; the Conways have a total of five Baileys who are regular customers.

Labell said his Bailey has been invited to birthday parties for his doggie friends at day care. They go to the parties, with a chew toy or some other gift in hand.

"I make sure my dog is taken care of as if he's a child," he said.

The Conways feel the same way about the dogs they care for. The business is a natural for the couple, who love dogs and are unfazed when a few dozen dogs rush toward them excitedly or jump up on their shoulders so dog and human are eye-to-eye.

To start the business, Kelly Conway left a job in retail and Bill Conway left a job as a deck officer on a ship. They've never looked back.

"It was amazing the way it took off," Mrs. Conway said.

Nancy Dively, a real estate agent in Tarpon Springs, takes her dogs Ajax and Annie to the day care occasionally. She appreciates how much the Conways love dogs, and she is grateful to have a place to drop off her dogs for nine or 10 hours a day.

"I know the care that they get," she said. The dogs seem to know, too. When the dogs get in the car, she said, "They know they're going there. And they love going there."

In case the Conways ever have any doubt about their career choice, regular customers are constantly affirming their decision to open the day care center.

"Every day, the owners come in and say, "I wish I had your job,' " Bill Conway said.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.