Valparaiso welcomed its newest dog kennel on Saturday as Ruff Luxury Inn officially opened to the public with a celebration at their location at 55 Morthland Avenue.
The nearly 7000 square foot facility features 37 custom built kennels which include five suites. Ruff Luxury Inn features a large indoor training and play area with synthetic grass turf that, underneath, is equipped with drains that allow the entire area to be hosed down for easy cleaning. That means that no matter what the weather's like outside dogs will have an easy, clean experience.
Owners Todd and Carlee Kobitz have dreamt of owning their own kennel for years. Todd has been with the Valparaiso Police Department since 2000 and a K-9 handler since 2004. He is a certified trainer with the North American Police Work Dog Association and currently trains new K-9’s and their handlers for the police department.
“The planning stages began a few years ago when it was an idea and a dream to open one,” said Kobitz. “It was a potential post-retirement plan, but with my wife being let go from her job, we decided to go for it now. I began with a business plan and ended up seeking help with the business plan. The plan was mostly complete a year ago in January and that's when the looking around and inquiring began on properties.”
“We did lots and lots of homework,” Kobitz said. “The building we are in was provided to the Valpo K-9 unit for training. During the time I was training, it seemed to me that the building would make a great boarding facility. A few weeks later is when my wife lost her job, and it was that time that I approached the building owner to see if we could occupy it. I asked my wife, ‘Well, what do you think?’ She said, ‘Let’s go for it!’ and things snowballed extremely quickly from there.”
“We got a couple partners and when we walked the guys through they said, ‘Absolutely, we want in!’. After that, we had people coming to us. Like Healti Paws, we have a good working relationship with them so they’ll be adding retail products inside in the near future. The concept behind what we are planning to do is to have the dogs be happy and have human interaction several times a day. If a dog leaves our facility happy, we will most likely have a return customer.”
Ruff Luxury Inn offers grooming, training, and along with the boarding, they have a bedroom that someone can pay an added charge to have someone sleep with their pampered pet in our bedroom. The kennel features three rows of comfortable rooms to house the dogs with one row separated from the other two to create a quieter atmosphere for dogs that get stressed.
The training will be provided by Kobitz, a trainer through the NAPWDA, and master trainer, Mike Mchenry, who has known and worked with Kobitz for around nine years.
“Eight or nine years ago Todd and I befriended each other,” Mchenry said. “I was a master trainer and at that time he was a handler and since then he’s been working his way to master trainer. We’ve been working back and forth with dogs that whole time and probably the last three years it’s really picked up the pace. It began as a friendship and it’s developed into so much more. Todd asked me to come in and I’ll be doing obedience and problem solving and help him with the training of the dogs. He’s got a lot going on around him and he needs all the help he can get!”
The concept behind Ruff Luxury Inn will be a one stop shop for all your pets needs. To find out more give them a call at 219-242-8820.