Fimke Fairley, 36, and Dempsey Kinsabel, 32, started boarding dogs in Snooze’s Golden Valley five years ago. Later they also started a kennel where Golden Retrievers are bred. At the end of December they moved to a more spacious site on Kasteelstraat.
“We started our own kennel five years ago,” says Femke. “In the beginning we mainly took friends’ dogs. Over time, other dogs were added. At first, the intention was also to only take Golden Retrievers. I lost my heart for this breed of dog. It started when my dad came home with a golden retriever. He wanted “The owners got rid of the animal because they were moving into an apartment. Meanwhile, not only the dog owners from Staden have found their way into our pension. People from the Kortrijk and Bruges area, even Antwerp and Brussels, are also our clients.”
“Three years ago we also started a kennel, where we breed only Golden Retrievers,” Femke continues. “Both the kennel and boarding house were initially named Snows Golden Valley. Snow was a golden retriever that we lost after a collision. Because we will never forget Snow, we called both the boarding house and kennel the same name. However, we will change We name our boarding house to Golden Valley because Snows Golden Valley is a bit difficult for people looking for a boarding house for dogs. We will keep Snows Golden Valley as our kennel name.”
“In addition, there are also golden sweets, which are our gift boxes for dogs and cats. For example, we had boxes about the World Cup, Christmas and Sinterklaas, among other things. The boxes contain sweets and toys for animals. You can also buy sweets and treats And games separately from us.
More space
At the end of December, Dempsey and Wimke moved from Ostniewkerkistraat to a former farm in Kastelstraat. “We basically did it for the dogs,” explains Femke. “They have more space in our new location. We allow the dogs who are our guests to play outside mainly during the day. If the weather is bad, they can now go to a spacious hut. The dogs that stay the night can go to a second shed, whereas the shelter used to be in Our house. The kennel is now completely separated from the boarding house, which is essential for the care of the animal.”
“By summer we’ll start a cat house.”
Femke and Dempsey also have more plans for their new location. “By the summer, we also want to start a cat house,” says Dempsey. “We also want to start a dog wash in the future where dog owners can wash their animals themselves or with us, and we are also planning a store with food, treats and toys for dogs and cats.”
In addition to all this work, Vimke is still a nighttime nurse at a residential care center, while Dempsey works as a carpenter.
(CB/fto JC)
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