New Doggie Care Center In Waipio

December 13, 2006
By Melissa Moniz

Heather Manuel and her canine friends (pictured here)
welcome dogs and owners to check out their new
facility. Photo by Heather Manuel.

Pet owners can breathe a sigh of relief because Tails of Hawaii, a day care and boarding kennel business, has just arrived in Waipio.

“We’ve been waiting for our business permits to close,” said owner Heather Manuel. “And we have just a few last-minute things to do, but we plan to be open by the end of the week (Dec. 10).”

The doggie day care-type facility is a two-level complex. The first level is a 1,400-square-foot play area, and the second level has a lounge-living room area reserved for the more mature and less energetic dogs.

“We also have about 20 kennels, but they are just for the dogs to rest in,” adds Manuel. “Our focus is not to have them in the kennels.”

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The idea behind the facility is something that Manuel has had an itch to do for a fairly long time. As a veterinary technician for seven years, Manuel says she saw firsthand the pain of watching the dogs go through separation from their owners and wanted to do something to help.

And as a pet owner herself, she understands how difficult it is to give your pets the exercise and attention they need after you’ve spent a long day at work.

The play group setting doesn’t mean that a bunch of dogs are just thrown together in hopes that they get along. Instead, Manuel says that they first have an interview with the owner followed by a four-hour evaluation of the dog. And those are not the only requirements. Dogs must also be current on vaccinations (distemper, hepatitis, parvo virus and bortadella), neutered or spayed (if over 6 months of age) and be on flea and tick prevention.

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Cost for the doggy stay is determined on a per-day basis with discounts for military, stays longer than 10 days and multiple dogs.

Tails of Hawaii is located at 94-422 Ukee St. For more information, call 381-4586 or visit www.tailsofhawaii.com