Pet Estates

Melrose, New York

By Roxanne Hawn

Mary Lynn and Don Gagnon, a former nurse and a retired police officer, first opened Merry Lynn Kennels in 1991. The couple ran a typical, higher-volume kennel at their location in the hills of Rensselaer County, about 20 minutes from downtown Albany. In the beginning, they could host 75 dogs and 15 cats per day. “Our operation system was based, and succeeded, on volume,” Mary Lynn says. But, the Gagnons learned that volume wasn’t for them.

So, in 1994, they switched gears and tried something revolutionary. Instead of typical kennel or even suite-style boarding, they developed a village of small houses, condos and townhouses that provide cage-free boarding in a home-like environment. They re-branded the facility as Pet Estates and focused on quality, not quantity. They paid conversion expenses from regular cash-flow. At the time, it cost about $40,000-$50,000.

"There are a ton of reasons,” Mary Lynn says of the switch. “With volume, no matter how hard you work, I don’t think you can give the care you want to give, and the overhead is much greater. The way we have it set up, especially in the off-season, one person can basically run it. And, the nice thing is that the pets are enjoying the outdoors all day. Each one of our setups, each one of our designs, has a play yard attached, so pets are outdoors a lot, and we have a pond that’s incorporated into the design of the village, which allows us to help the real high-energy dogs to burn off energy because we let them play and swim in the water.”

The Gagnons explain that cleaning is much faster and easier because pets rarely make messes indoors. And, they add, the stress level for animals and people is much lower because each pet has its own space rather than keeping 70 or 100 animals under one roof. It’s very quiet in the village, so even nervous or fearful pets can relax.

In a volume-based kennel, Mary Lynn says, “If you have one or two people who don’t show, which is very common, you have a problem. The pets can’t get the attention you would want.”

“The work involved is a lot less,” Don adds. “But, the revenue is around the same.”

Plus, Mary Lynn adds that even modern suites with beds and TVs feel “hospital-like” and not like home. Through their own hands-on experience, not theory, the Gagnons want to show the industry that lower volume and homey kennels are not only viable but desirable. They also point to the lower start-up costs as a selling point to those interested in joining the industry. Rather than $1 million to launch a modern, high-volume kennel, they say someone can get started with a village for around $100,000.

The village features private and semi-private accommodations. “Private” means they have full run of their own little building, including the lounge and/or play yard. “Semi-private” means they have their own rooms, but they alternate access to the lounge and play yards. Only animals from the same family co-mingle. That includes dogs and cats being together, just as they would be at home.

      Right now, the village has eight buildings:

·         The largest is 1,400 square feet and houses the reception area, grooming shop, a five-unit suite with private lounge, a one-bedroom townhouse and a two-bedroom townhouse (both private).

·         Building 2 is 240 square feet and consists of four suite units with a shared lounge.

·         Building 3 is 288 square feet and consists of a four-unit suite with lounge.

·         Building 4 is a 116-square-foot condo complete with a front porch and covered play yard.

·         Building 5 is another condo.

·         Building 6 is 288 square feet and consists of eight Mason kennels and two large fiberglass cages. This building is used for hold-over guests who are waiting to use other buildings. This allows for some guest overlap if a pet arrives before its reserved spot is vacated by the prior guest.

·         Building 7 is a bunkhouse, which is 288 square feet, with one private condo and three suite units with a shared lounge.

·         Building 8 is 336 square feet currently used for storage.

Plans are underway to add a Lake House on one of the 6.8-acre property’s three ponds. The Lake House will contain two private two-bedroom units.

      All buildings consist of wood framing. Interior walls are novelty wood siding, with the lower portions covered in polyboard. Ceilings are tongue-and-groove pine with exposed beams. Flooring is either ceramic tile or commercial-grade vinyl flooring. Interior designs feature Early American or Colonial furniture and accents, which can be removed temporarily for pets that might chew it up. “Most people will tell us if they think their pet might destroy the furniture,” Mary Lynn says. “So, we can pull it out and use the beds they bring from home. Honestly, people arrive with luggage for all their dog’s stuff.”

      There are sofas, chairs, TVs, microwaves, refrigerators, shelving, window seats, heated beds, ramps for cats and other amenities that complete the home-like feel. Each unit is different enough to provide a variety that appeals to different people and that is just right for different pets—from youngsters to seniors.

      Natural light comes from ample windows and skylights. Each building has its own heater and air conditioner. Since unused units don’t require heating or AC, it’s one way to save on overhead costs.

      The buildings and yards are spaced about 25 to 35 feet apart, and the Gagnons use creative landscaping that allows pets to enjoy porches or play yards with some privacy. If a couple of dogs get too vocal with one another, the Gagnons simply alternate their access to play yards so the village stays quiet for everyone else.

      “We give tours in the summer, when we’re running full, and we’ll show people around, and it’s quiet,” Don says. “It’s not your typical kennel where you might have 70 dogs under one roof with a hurricane of noise that’s constant all day long. It’s just so much better for the pets.”

      Play yard typically measure 18 by 35 feet and feature pea gravel on top of larger stone which is on top of drainage tiles that direct water away from the fresh-water ponds. Wood-frame fences with attached screening give a warmer appearance than chain link.

      Thanks to the home design, cleaning is more like housecleaning than industrial facility cleaning. With bleach, Odor Ban, Clorox 2 spray cleaner, Fantastic, Windex and Glade furniture polish, the Gagnons or their staff clean up each occupied unit each day. They store cleaning supplies, including mops and buckets, in each building for quick access.

      Since no high-power washers are used, pets can stay in the units while they’re being cleaned, which adds individual attention to their already posh and hands-on care. “It’s such a stress reliever,” Mary Lynn says. “As you do each one, they become your buddy.”

The Gagnons believe their village design allows for lower volume, less overhead and less stress with the same amount of revenue as a high-volume kennel. This is accomplished by premium rates for the various units. A typical kennel near Pet Estates charges $15-$18 a night. But, their suites start at $35. Condos go for $45 and townhouses for $55. The Lake House units will be around $65 per day. And, that per day point is important. Pet Estates charges by the day, not the night, so Friday to Friday stay would be billed for eight days, not seven. The billing day begins at opening, at 9 a.m., each day. By then, the pets have been serviced, starting at 6 a.m., so even if guest pick their pets up right at 9 a.m., they are charged for that day. By the same token, those that arrive just before 6 p.m. closing are not charged more. But, Pet Estates hours are strictly enforced, even though the Gagnons live onsite.

Clients are also charged based on the time they reserve, so if a 10-day vacation goes awry and the people come back after just five days, they still pay for 10 since others were likely turned away to protect that reservation.

The first pet from a family is full price, then additional pets are $25. Cats and dogs cost the same, so there’s no difference in the level of care or accommodations based on species. If you have two dogs staying in a condo, that’s $70 a day. One-on-one play time and attention come standard, but guests who want play times in the pond and huge attached play yard pay extra ($12 for 30 minutes, $20 for 60 minutes). So, if a two-dog family also books a half hour of daily pond time, that’s another $24 per day. Some prefer to have their pets bathed after swimming, so those fees get added as well.

“Most people who are spending $55 to $80 a day on their pets will buy into the extras, which helps subsidize our lower volume,” Don explains.

At check-in clients agrees that if their pet messes itself or gets really dirty during play that a bath will automatically be done at the owners expense. “The worse thing you can do is send home a smelly dog,” Don says.

For an additional fee, the Gagnons also will shoot photos and video and email them to clients on vacation.

Pet Estates allows clients to tip the staff. Sometimes it’s only a dollar, but occasionally staff receives tips of $50 or more.

Despite industry trends toward pack play times, the Gagnons don’t co-mingle dogs unless they know them really well and know that these two or three dogs get along. Mary Lynn knows that most places with group play times get clients to sign waivers, but she says, “Do you really think that’s going to matter if someone comes back, and we have to say, “We’re sorry but your dog got chewed up”? I can’t do that.”

In fact, the lack of interaction is a selling point for some clients with “difficult” pets who would be turned away from other facilities. Even fear-aggressive dogs do well at Pet Estates because they don’t need to be leashed up or handled regularly. All families are encouraged to bring their supplies into the units and hang out with their pets before taking off. Pet Estates staff comes along so that pets can see their owners interact with them and see that everything is alright. “You can be sitting there visiting with the owner, and the pet will come over to you on its own,” Don says. “It creates a trust factor.”

Even really skittish pets do well. “In the extreme cases, some pets don’t want any human contact at all,” Don says. “And, we don’t need to corner them to clean or anything. You can herd them around inside and out, without forcing any contact. That’s maybe one out of 300. We’ve never refused any dog. We can handle high-stress dogs.”

“What’s funny is that after they’ve been here a couple times, 99 percent of the time they’re fine,” Mary Lynn adds.

Thanks to pond play times and the high level of personal attention, Don laughs that some dogs don’t want to go home. “I love it when the owner comes back to pick the pet up, and the pet is like ‘What are you doing here?’ That’s when I know we’ve done our job,” he says.

Because Pet Estates is unique, most marketing is done through veterinarians and word of mouth. When the first converted condo opened, the facility also got quite a bit of media attention. For the first year, the Gagnons also ran a television commercial, but these days it’s not necessary. People who are interested request tours. And, Mary Lynn says, “Seeing is selling.”

Even though larger, new kennels have spouted up nearby, it hasn’t affected business or revenue levels at Pet Estates.

Don also credits the pond as a great amenity, calling it a tremendous “money maker.” In addition to use by boarders, local clients often book the pond for private play time and doggie parties all summer long.

The Gagnons also provide home design consulting for people who want to make their homes more workable for them and their pets. They’ll even build condos and townhouses onsite for people who want one at home. It’s a workable option for families who love their pets but struggle with allergies or asthma in the household, like the Gagnon’s did with their now-grown children. They turned their tool shed into a separate living room with couches and a TV so that they could hang out with their own dogs without compromising their kids’ health.

Pet Estates is up for sale. Not because the Gagnons don’t love it. They do. They’re just ready to expand their consulting work to help others build similar home-like boarding villages across the country. One part of their business plan included setting up estates for pets whose owners die (about 15 so far), and they simply need more places like theirs that they can recommend for long-term care. They believe others can make a good living with just three buildings.