The word luxury is often associated with designer brands and pampering services; locally, luxury has taken on a whole new meaning in the realm of pet boarding, grooming and day care.

In the Wilmington area, a growing number of pet boarding facilities cater to owners interested in giving their pet the furry friend-version of a luxury experience. Among them are K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel, which recently opened on Oleander Drive in Wilmington, and Pawville, which has pet boarding facilities throughout the region.

For dogs, luxury services translate to higher-quality beds and kennel amenities, heightened sanitation efforts, additional playtime and one-on-one attention.

The Wilmington location of K9 Resorts, a luxury pet hotel that opened in the Port City in December, is run by an ownership group, Furocious Enterprises, led by Natalie Dreher and Cheryl Willey. The resort, at 5302 Oleander Drive, features 11,000 square feet of indoor space and 3,500 square feet of outdoor space and can host upwards of 150 dogs.

While normal pet boarding facilities have standard and regulated sanitation protocols, K9 Resorts mirrors sanitation efforts to that of hospital-grade standards and aims to eliminate pet odors. To do so, the resort’s HVAC system pushes 12 to 15 fresh air exchanges per hour and has a UV air filtration to kill almost all bacteria that might be in the air. The facility also has Microban flooring to help prevent the spread of disease, and the turf in its outdoor play yards has anti-microbial agents that kill any bacteria that might be lingering.

“We aim to be a home away from home for the dogs staying with us, whether it’s for overnight boarding or daily doggie day care,” said Natalie Dreher, co-owner of K9 Resorts.

To be that home away from home for its pet clientele, K9 Resorts has a variety of lodging accommodations to fit each pet’s individual needs. It has the traditional kennel boarding experience that is most ideal for puppies that are being crate trained. It also has large 5-by-7-foot executive suites and 9-by-9-foot luxury suites that come with a K-9 sofa and TV that plays day and night. K9 Resorts includes sound-resistant insulation in its walls to promote a stress-free environment for dogs.

“When you have dogs in the luxury suite and they sit on the sofas, they have a certain presence about them,” Dreher said. “They almost can sense that they’re in a luxury suite. We’ve watched them; they do actually watch the TVs.”

Another touch: Groomers use a shampoo imported from France.

“The dogs, when they walk out of here, their tails are wagging, they’re smiling,” Dreher said. “I think that they just love being here, and they love that it’s a bright environment. Everyone here is very happy and positive. They have a lot of outdoor play, which I think could add to luxury for a dog. They’re getting a lot of that fresh-air, outdoor time.”

K9 Resorts opened its first location in New Jersey in 2005. One of the brand’s founders had attended an international pet sitters conference in 2002 “and learned that high-end, luxury pet care was in demand,” according to the company’s website. It started franchising in 2011 and had more than 170 locations as of 2023.

At the Wilmington K9 Resorts hotel, like others in the chain, employees undergo an in-depth training program, Dreher said.
“K9 Resorts has modeled that after similar programs at luxury resorts around the world who are also focused on best-in-class customer service and accommodations,” Dreher said. “We’ve really used that type of training for our team as well. We just want to make sure that every experience is a five-star experience for both our clients and our guests who are staying overnight with us and who are here for doggy day care. We always want to do everything we can to make sure that everyone is going home with just a ‘wow’ experience.”

To Phil Miller, co-founder and CEO of Pawville, luxury pet facilities go far beyond luxury pet services; cleanliness, smell and the look of the facility are some of the most important indicators of luxury in the realm of pet boarding.

Pawville has multiple pet resort locations in the region, including in midtown Wilmington, Northchase, Scotts Hill and Hampstead.

“I think luxury really comes down to let’s create beautiful facilities so there is the appearance of luxury, but let’s also make sure that there are truly services associated with that appearance of luxury that are the true drivers of a luxury service,” Miller said.
When more effort is put into the appearance of a facility, it in return gives a more luxurious, he said.

“When we work hard to create these beautiful facilities, it signals to the client that we genuinely care,” Miller said. “For example, all of our Wilmington locations have in-ground pools. Even if the client does not have a dog that swims, that in-ground pool signals to the client that this is a quality, well-funded operation where my dog will receive the highest level of care.”

Another detail that Pawville incorporates into its facilities is kennels that mirror those of a small village. Each enclosure reflects that of a condo or townhome, equipped with a porch light and mailbox.

To Miller and the team at Pawville, the details are important.

“It’s more signaling to the client that we offer a high standard of service,” he said. “It’s not as much about the client sharing this with others as it is about the client believing and understanding that this is a higher level of service for my dog. Because after all, our pets are our children, and so if my pet is my child, I am going to work hard to ensure that my pet experiences the highest level of service.”