Tail of success for ‘five star’ doggy daycare

Two Shropshire entrepreneurs behind a luxury dog kennels are proving that dogs really are man’s best friend after celebrating four years in business with the completion of a £100,000 investment drive.

K9 Anytime owners Tom Haynes and Luke Bird have transformed Cotsbrook Farm in Shifnal into a leading doggy daycare and luxury dog hotel.

It has responded to a rise in demand for its services since lockdown eased by creating eight jobs, extending the offer to include an online store and a luxurious grooming salon.

The latter cost £30,000 to create and the year of growth has been capped with the facility becoming the first in the county to receive a 5-Star rating by Shropshire Council across all services following annual licensing inspections.

“The rating is equivalent to what a hotel would receive and confirms that we are the very best in our field, offering exceptional service and exceptional facilities with exceptional health and safety,” said Haynes.

“It’s an esteemed acknowledgment to achieve and one which we are, quite frankly, extremely proud of considering our relatively early years as a business.”

He added: “When we started K9 Anytime, we wanted to create something truly unique that put dogs first and gave their parents peace of mind that they would be treated like they are at home.

“In the beginning, people thought the idea of K9 Anytime was crazy, and now they think the level of investment is crazy, but anything less than the very best is simply not an option.”

Bird added: “We’ve come a long way in four years and now have a team of eleven looking after our dogs, running our online shop (‘the Pantry’) for natural dog food and treats and making the dogs look their very best with our pampering experience.”

K9 Anytime remained operational throughout the pandemic providing essential services for key workers and extending opening hours to accommodate different shift patterns.