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.