History
Dances With Dogs Day Care, Inc. opened for business on August 14, 2006 with a mission to create a fun, safe place where dogs could come to play, learn and socialize with other dogs. Our owner, Debbi Wysocki came from the business world and had been employed at New England Extrusion, Inc. in Turners Falls, MA for the previous 15 years. Out of love for her own 3 dogs and the other 10 or so dogs in her family, she decided to make a total career change and run a dog day care center. She convinced her sister Shelly to come and start up the business with her and eventually, the center in Northampton was founded!
To prepare for the world of dogs, Debbi and Shelly volunteered at both Dakin Animal Shelter and the MSPCA in Springfield. They thoroughly enjoyed working at both shelters and learned a great deal about animal handling, diseases, disinfecting and most of all, what animals need in terms of love and care. Both also apprenticed with Kelley Bollen, Animal Behaviorist who owns Animal Alliances, formerly in Easthampton. From Kelley they learned about clicker training, positive reinforcement and many methods of safely handling dogs and their behaviors.
The business has really grown in the short amount of time that we’ve been open. We started with two employees and now we’re up to four full-time employees and four part-time employees. We have a terrific team with lots of dog experience and we all really work well together and have a great time with our day care dogs! It’s apparent that our doggies really have a great time coming here when we see them racing to the door in the morning to start their day of play with their friends!
Why the growing popularity in dog day care?
One reason is that it’s awesome fun for your dog! Another reason is that it meets a vital need for owners and canines alike. Many of us work more than 40 hours a week. If we add our commute time, errands and other obligations, that leaves our dogs home alone more than 60% of the time. This leads to boredom, possibly separation anxiety and other destructive behaviors such as barking, chewing on furniture and indoor accidents. At Dances With Dogs Day Care, we are dedicated to providing your pets with a fun and stimulating environment so that you can take home a happy dog that is ready to relax with you for the evening.
