Planning a vacation can be time-consuming, especially for families looking for the right place to board their dog or cat while they’re away.
Fuzzie Buddies is the solution for many families who want more than a typical boarding facility at an affordable price.
“The only cages in our facility are in the grooming room,” said Edie Wilhoit, president and owner of Fuzzie Buddies. “Pets are housed in individual suites where there’s plenty of room to move and play.”
Edie began Fuzzie Buddies 10 years ago out of her personal frustrations finding suitable boarding for her dog.
“I used to travel a lot and was never happy with the kennels I used for my large dog,” she said. “Friends with large breed dogs also complained about how hard it was to find a good boarding facility, so I decided to do something about it.”
Edie spent five years touring boarding facilities around the country before she opened Fuzzie Buddies.
“During my research I asked owners of kennels what they’d do differently,” said Edie. “I wanted to know what worked and what didn’t, so we’d have the best boarding facility possible.”
With a goal to offer the finest pet care services in the highest quality facility, Edie received training from the American Boarding and Kennel Association and hired an architect to design 150 suites to accommodate dogs from the smallest to largest breeds.
She also had kitty condos designed that interconnect on six levels. The cat area is completely separate from the dog area and fresh air is continuously circulated so that cats can’t even smell the dogs.
Fresh air is also continuously circulated in the dog area by seven separate air-handling systems. “Our air always smells fresh because it is never recycled,” said Edie.
Outdoor areas at Fuzzie Buddies are covered with field turf — the same material used in sports stadiums.
“Astroturf helps to keep our dogs clean, especially after running in and out of our doggie swimming pool,” said Edie.
In addition to boarding, Fuzzie Buddies provides day care for up to 80 dogs and offers grooming and bathing services, including relaxing massages.
“This is definitely a full-service spa for dogs,” said Edie. “We even have a pet webcam so owners can check in on their pets while they’re away.”
In case of a power outage, the facility has a hospital-grade emergency generator and its building is designed to withstand a category 3 hurricane.
What is it like to work at Fuzzie Buddies?
“It’s a lot of fun because we have a lot of awesome clients and pets,” said Mary Pfaefflin, vice president of operations. “Our dogs have so much fun they don’t want to leave — sometimes we have to walk them to their owner’s car!”
An example of how well Fuzzie Buddies’s staff connects with its customers, both human and canine, is the story behind a U.S. flag in its lobby.
The flag was a gift of appreciation from a soldier who boarded her dog at the facility for eight months while she was deployed. When the soldier returned home, the staff at Fuzzie Buddies brought her dog to the military base to welcome her home.
“Just one visit to Fuzzie Buddies will show you that we care for your pet as much as you do,” said Edie. “Our motto — ‘Arrive as a guest, leave as family’ — will give you peace of mind when you leave your pet with us.”
Fuzzie Buddies is located at 1212 N. 34th St., Tampa. They can be reached at (813) 247-2111, or at www.FuzzieBuddies.com.
– Mike Matthew
This story was written by the advertising department.
