A new resort opened in Oak Harbor last month. Its white vaulted ceilings boast exposed beams and expansive windows which allow warm natural light to fill the space. Designed to resemble a classic red barn, the two-story building’s exterior creates a sense of home while maintaing a chic and modern feel indoors. In a word, the Dogwood embodies luxury.
The only catch is that its guests must have wet noses, spots, furry faces or nine lives. As its proper name implies, the Dogwood Pet Resort was established solely for four-legged friends.
The Dogwood was founded by John Cline, a North Whidbey farmer with 44 years of professional experience in pet grooming. Cline’s father was a groomer and he began training with him when he was 14. Cline has offered boarding and grooming services on the island for about 24 years and used a rented unit on Pioneer Way and his own home to serve clients. But Cline always dreamed of designing his own kennel, where the equipment would be state-of-the art and the layout would best suit the needs of his guests. After seven years of studying other kennels and drawing up plans, Cline was finally able to make his dream a reality.
“The whole idea is to cover a whole range of services,” he said.
The Dogwood offers short and long-term pet boarding in addition to day care and grooming. The dog kennels’ floors are heated to 75 degrees and include 15-foot individual runs to allow the canines to stretch their legs. The runs border a wall of garage-like doors that Cline plans to open in warmer weather to give the dogs fresh air.
To avoid contamination and the spread of germs, each kennel is also equipped with its own drain and is raised off the ground so liquids from one cage can’t dribble into a neighboring kennel. Additionally, the dogs are walked two to three times each day.
“We don’t just say that, we actually do it,” Cline said.
Though Cline already accepts cats, he’s in the process of finishing the upstairs cat room which will feature individual cat condos and will be filled with live birds and fish tanks to provide visual stimulation for the animals.
Later in the year Cline plans to bring in 4-H kids, hire trainers and to build pet suites.
“These days pets are seen more as family members,” Cline said. “And people want a safe secure place to leave them. … This is like leaving a pet at a friend’s house.”
The Dogwood is located on Cline’s 43-acre property, so he lives just across the premises and said he’s always available to give the animals necessary attention. And when business picks up, he plans on hiring staff to stay on location through the night.
Currently, Cline is working to transform an acre and half directly behind the Dogwood into a private dog park that surrounds a large man-made swim pond. The park will be for Dogwood members-only and will be cleaned three times a day. Cline said he plans to supply the front lobby with coffee and dog treats to encourage people to gather with their pets and friends at the park.
“I want to create a canine culture,” he said.
Dogwood members will receive certain service discounts as will seniors and military men and women. Furthermore, people who have been displaced by fire, flood or other catastrophes can receive one week of free boarding.
To make a reservation or learn more about day care and grooming services, call the Dogwood Pet Resort at 675-4483 or visit thedogwood
petresort.com. The resort is located at 2495 Taylor Rd.
