Daycare upgrade next step for new kennel owners

JULIA WADE

An animal-loving family including five furry members have begun an exciting new venture which aligns close to their hearts, becoming owners of an established and well-known animal boarding house in the outskirts of Hakaru.

Canines and felines who attend Baldrock Kennels and Cattery, which first opened in 2003, are now under the loving care of the Greenfields, aka Camille and Dylan, their two children Maddox and Georgia, and important four-legged members, labradors Whittaker, Maddie, Layla and her pup, as well as a cat named Meow Meow. Both Camille and Dylan have always been surrounded by animals, an enjoyable experience they are now giving their offspring, and buying the kennel ‘felt like a natural next step’.

“We feel extremely lucky to have done so,” Dylan, an account manager for Carters Mangawhai says. “Penny, the previous owner had such a fantastic following within the community and we are sure we can keep that standard of care and flexibility for our clients and pets.”

Animal clients will be in passionate and professional hands with qualified veterinary nurse Camille, who has an impressive list of caring for a range of different domestic creatures and wildlife, including volunteering at SPCA, working with elephants in a Thailand sanctuary and looking after Borneo’s orphaned orangutangs. While in the country Camille also helped raise awareness on the adverse effects of palm oil deforestation.

Housing a number of animals who may be missing home could potentially cause some noisy nights, however as Camille ensures the animals have plenty of play time and exercise throughout the day, Dylan says ‘by bed time the dogs are all knackered and fall asleep quickly’.

“We also keep the radio on in the kennels as having music playing softly through the night helps.”

Resolving 'disputes' between animals can also be well-managed due to the kennels having seven fully-fenced areas.

“So if any issues do arise between the dogs we are able to separate them,” he says, “Camille never leaves the dogs unattended either. If she needs to have lunch she will put all the dogs back in the kennels. This is one of our rules and we stick to it for safety reasons.”

The couple are also creating a new fun canine attraction in the shape of a fully-fenced doggy daycare area, kitted out with tunnels, agility walks and a wet area for the dogs to cool off in. Currently under construction, the Greenfields are hopeful they can open the daycare after the Christmas holiday period.

Although the kennels are a 24/7 job with weekends split between family and work time, Dylan says ‘so far it has been working quite well’.

“The property is ten acres so Maddox and Georgia have been getting into riding motorbikes around and exploring, and they both love helping their mum in the cattery and collecting eggs from all their pet chickens,” he says. “As you can imagine, playing with dogs all day is fantastic… the one down side however is there sure is a lot of poop to pick up!”

Kennel caper: Dogs have a sniff, and a meet and greet, before planning their next move. PHOTO/FACEBOOK

“As you can imagine, playing with dogs all day is fantastic…”