The Ark has outdoor play spaces for their pups, enabling them to play with one another in the sunshine before eating and sleeping in their kennel. (Contributed Photo)Location: 5461 Hixson Pike
Founders: Jay Floyd and Jimmy Adams
Timeline: The Ark Pet Spa and Hotel's new Hixson location opened the weekend before the Fourth of July.
Services: The Hixson facility offers boarding, day care and grooming for domestic pets. Pups spend as little time as possible in their kennels. Instead, dogs run around in the sun with one another. The Ark's day care facility lets dogs staying there for the day socialize with dogs who are boarding, staying in their individual kennels only to eat and sleep (provided they socialize well with others).
Expanding: This is The Ark's fourth location. The original location is along Dayton Boulevard in Red Bank, and the business expanded to East Brainerd Road and Norville, Ga., near Atlanta.
Supply and demand: Adam Harbin, The Ark's director of marketing and development, said the new location was necessitated by how full their Red Bank and East Brainerd locations became during holidays and busy weekends.
"The new location was completely booked up on Fourth of July weekend," said Harbin. "Previously, we would have had to turn customers away from our other two locations once they became full."
From the ground up: This is the first location for The Ark that was built completely by the company, rather than retrofitting a building with rooms and facilities for pet care. The space is efficient, Harbin said, and it can house up to 100 dogs at capacity.
Pet watching: The Ark recently upgraded its camera system, enabling pet owners whose pups are staying at the facility to check up on them and watch them play, eat or sleep any time throughout the day. These cameras can be accessed by desktop computer or via smartphone.
Free play: "Pets are assessed when they come in for a day of day care," said Harbin. "If they get along with other dogs and people, they'll be put into play groups of dogs of similar size and temperament. When they're not crated to eat and sleep, they'll be outside playing with other dogs."
Not just pooches: The Ark will accept any domestic animal as long as a crate is provided. The facility has a separate room for cats with its own ventilation system, and Harbin said they've even watched potbellied pigs, lizards and pet chickens.