05/30/2026
We recently had a comment from someone on a community page that warned people to “make sure you get a tour before you book”. Naturally, my initial reaction was to be offended. I prayed on it for a while before I responded to her negativity inviting her to come visit and see all of the positive changes we have made since she was last here interviewing for a position.
This was someone who had not seen the place for over a year. A LOT has changed, physically, around here and I’ll never be ashamed of the progress. It’s been more hard labor than most people accomplish in their entire lives.
We took over this building, which is locally known to be an architectural rarity, and started making it our own in October 2024. Prior to us opening the doors and windows, this building had been shuttered for nearly 16 years. Initial inspections indicate we have a GEM here. Even after being boarded up for so long, there was no structural decay, no mold, and no mildew- just a few broken windows and lots of dirt and dust. My team, a couple friends, and I put in 100s of hours getting it clean and preparing to let the public in and it’s a constant work in progress as we discover what works and what doesn’t — making improvements and continuing to meet our licensing requirements.
The original construction date officially recognized in city and tax assessment records for our building at 708 SW 6th Ave is 1947, but pictures and historical information indicate that parts are much older than that; possibly even dating back earlier than 1914!
The Main Structure: The primary 2-story brick storefront and warehouse space was erected during commercial development in the district around 1947.
The Older Section: Local history records and physical evidence show an older, rugged stone section attached to the north end of the building. While official city records count the modern property footprint 30 years later, historical local accounts note that this back stone wall and woodwork date back further, possibly surviving from an earlier 19th- or early 20th-century residential plot or standard workshop structure.
You may not think it’s cool or beautiful - and you don’t have to - but I absolutely love our historical space, and so do many of our clients and members of the community. Not only is our building a piece of a rich history here in the Capital City, but we have such a cool opportunity here and the options for service additions and program development are limitless! The dogs don’t care about big and fancy and state of the art (I’ve been there and done that, believe me, they don’t care at all), they care about how the environment feels, how clean it is, how safe it is, and how the people around them engage with, care for, and love them.
There are so very many plans for our space, and we will continue to make progress toward our goals every day. We hope you’ll come along with us on this adventure
