HERMON, Maine (WABI) -The Bark House Resort and Spa is a new business in Hermon offering much-needed pet care services, including getting picked up and dropped off by the bark bus.
“We are pet owners, we are pet lovers, and just kind of always been something that I wanted to pursue in my career,” says Jessica Griffin, who owns the business with her husband, Al.
They got the idea to start a doggie daycare after seeing the need for it in the area.
“I got to the point in my life where we said this is something we really need. We’re an all-day play facility, so they play a lot and you know, we have cots and stuff out and they take their little rests at times, but they play a lot during the day. When the sun is shining and they’re out on the turf, you can see them; they’re like lying in the sun. I get a little jealous once in a while, like, I wish I could do that, but yeah, they have a great time,” she says.
They also offer grooming and boarding … and say they want to be a space that the dogs and their owners always feel great about coming to every day.
“It was definitely a need that we had, especially in the Hermon area, and the place is beautiful, and the inside is all open. When you walk in, you can see what’s going on. There’s nothing hidden, and that’s kind of important to me. I like to be able to see at night all the pictures are posted, and she loves going, and she comes home absolutely exhausted, which is a bonus, and it’s been good for her keeping her socialized,” says Laurel Sanborn, whose dog, Gracie, goes to The Bark House.
Griffin says she loves how they’ve been embraced by not only the part of the community that owns dogs but everyone they’ve encountered that have shown them — and their cute clients — support along the way
“People say, ‘Oh, I’m so glad when I saw your sign with this place was gonna be,’ and so we’re just feeling very fortunate that we have the support that we do have. We’re very, very excited. We’re excited for what’s to come. Still, you know we’re just in our infancy of figuring things out, and we know there’s so much more. We’re really excited, and the pups are happy. And that’s our goal. The pups and their owners are happy, and that’s what it’s all about,” says Griffin.
The Griffins say they are thrilled to see how well they’ve been received so far and can’t wait to one day be able to give back to their community in different ways.
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