Capital K-9's Police Unit
Dog Park Spring Clean-up
Lakeview Elementary School PTA
Abundant Life Christian School Golf Outing
Tails from the Heart fundraiser
Middleton Outreach Ministry
LaFollette Booster Club benefit
American Cancer Society

Playroom of Hope
German Shepherd Rescue Alliance of WI
Dachschund Rescue Club

WNWC FM 102.5 Anniversary Banquet

• Sunday, June 9th: Mounds Dog Fest. Every year we participate in this fun-filled event! It is always a guaranteed good time for dogs and their owners! Make sure to look for our booth!

25TH ANNIVERSARY

The Celebration was a Huge Success!

We want to Thank all of our Great Staff and Volunteers who helped make the party so successful. A great time was had by all. We had over 400 attendees! Absolutely amazing! We thank everyone who came out to see us that day and participated in all of the events and contests we had scheduled. Thank you to everyone for your support!

Thank You to these Businesses who helped make our 25th Celebration a Memorable Event benefitting Capital K-9s

Henry Vilas Zoo - Behind the Scenes Giraffe Feeding for 6 people (Priceless)

The Edgewater Hotel - Overnight stay for you and your pet (over $200 value)

Oak Park Dental - Professional teeth whitening home kit ($335 value)

A1 Furniture & Bedding, Inc. - $100 Giftcard

Gatekeepers, LLC - Customized home wood gate ($399 value)

Jon Lancaster Toyota - Full service car/truck detail ($169.95 value)

Madison Auto Trim - Full car/truck detail

Princeton Club - 3 month membership ($199 value) & 1 month membership ($79 value)

Anytime Fitness - 3 month membership, including tanning

Advanced Image Hair Removal, LLC - $250 Giftcard

Oasis Day Spa - 30 minute whirlpool, fancy feet & hand paraffin ($45 value)

Deer-Grove Veterinary Clinics, LLC - $75 Giftcard

East-West Acupunture & Rehab Medicine- Initial eval. + 2 follow-up Appts (2@$250)

JB Tile & Stone with The Tile Shop- $500 cert. towards artisan glass/tile/stone installation in your home plus $500 towards materials from The Tile Shop.

Poynette Veterinary Service (Gift Certificate for services)

Lifetime Family Dentistry - In-Office Teeth Whitening ($400 value)

Von Rutenberg Ventures - Dinner Certificate

Stark Chevrolet of Sun Prairie - Gift Certificate

ProScapes - 5 yards of topsoil or mulch delivered w/in 10 miles of Camp K9

LA Weight Loss - ($200 Gift Card)

Goodman's Jewelers - 2 lapel pins ($40 value)

Bowl-A-Vard Lanes - ($50 Gift Card)

Animart - Giftbasket of Pet Products

Other participating pet friendly businesses:

FACE IT Skin Fitness - Skin Facial ($65 value)

Ella's Deli - Gift Certificates

Culver's (East Towne) - Gift Certificates

Uno's Chicago Grill - Gift Certificates

George Vitense Golfland - gift certificate

Octopus Car Wash - gift certificate

Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz

Truesdell Animal Care Hospital - $50 gift card

Paws & Claws Mobile Vet - 6 packs of frontline ($90+ value)

Grey-Oaks Pet-ography - on-site professional pet portraits - call now to set-up appt.

Bad Dog Frida

CH Pet Gifts - $20 giftcard and earrings/necklace set

Sun Prairie Vet Clinic, Inc.- Giftbasket with lots of fun dog items

Sketch-Your-Pet - Framed dog sketch and set of 12 cards, by Kate Stormer

Dog's Best Friend Training - Set of Training books by Trish McConnell- Ph.D.

Agility Demonstration by Doug Brejcha

L'Bri Pur n' Natural Skin Care with Lori Stone- natural skin products

Mighty Treats- freeze dried dog treats

All proceeds to benefit Madison's Capital K9s

In Biz with columnist Bill Haight

Three True Customer-Service Tales

September 8, 2009

Tale 1

I had to cancel a planned two-day trip to Atlanta. I went to the website of the hotel, the Intercontinental-Buckhead, and tried to cancel. I was told I had to call the hotel directly. The reservation agent told me she would be happy to cancel my room, but I would still be charged for the room ($300), even though my canceled trip was 2 weeks away.

Apparently the rate I had signed up for (that super-low $300 rate) didn't allow for any cancellation allowance. I told her not to cancel the room because as long as I would have to pay for it I wouldn't want the hotel to be able to re-sell it. I also told her my Intercontinental Priority Club card, shredded, would soon be in the mail to them because I would never frequent an Intercontinental Hotel again.

Tale 2

I then went to the Delta Airlines Web site to cancel my airline reservation. Unlike canceling a premium hotel reservation, I understand that airlines do not allow refund or changes without penalty on most tickets. Since I had paid for the ticket with miles, I was charged a $100 cancellation fee, but all the miles were returned to my account. Fair enough.

Tale 3

Unrelated to the aborted Atlanta trip, my wife and I decided to return one day early from a vacation. We would, therefore, pick up our dog from the boarding kennel on a Saturday rather than a Sunday. On the way back to Madison we called the kennel, Camp K9, and were politely informed that we would still be charged the $25 fee for Saturday night because they had a 4-day cancellation deadline on weekends. Again, understandable because we had taken up a night that they likely couldn't sell on such short notice. (Note that a $25-night dog kennel has a 4-day cancellation deadline, but a $300 luxury hotel has a no-day cancellation grace period.)

Here's the good part. When my wife picked up the dog, she was informed that they had a last-minute customer who would take the spot and so there would be no charge for the unused night.

Moral of the Stories

Camp K9: You're good guys. Delta: OK, I understand. Intercontinental Hotel: Forget any future business from me.

]]> http://WWW.campk9petcare.com/inthenews.php?id=13&1997-Capital-Times-News-Article---Cushy-Care-for-Lucky-Pets Mon, 02 Aug 1999 00:00:00 -0600 Cushy Care for lucky pets
Camp K-9 takes boredom out of being boarded

By Jeff Richgels

The Capital Times

Tuesday, August 12, 1997

Carolyn Boyken and her husband, Jeff, leave town an awful lot, meaning they are in frequent need of care for Penny, their 6-year-old West Highland White Terrier.

Their search for quality care is complicated by Penny having White Dog Tremor Syndrome, an ailment that requires medication and, when active, prevents Penny from even jumping down a tiny step.

They discovered Camp K-9 Pet Care Center when they owned their previous dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, and they haven’t gone elsewhere since. The five-acre facility at 4934 Felland Road. In the town of Burke, not far from East Towne Mall, is owned by Lori and Duncan Campbell.

“I feel confident that they give her great care,” Carolyn Boyken said one recent morning as she dropped Penny off at Camp K-9 before heading off on a two-week trip. “Lori and Duncan are really nice and very accommodating, and all the help seems to really love animals and really care about them. And it’s nice and clean and they let you inspect everything.”

Boyken said Penney gets very excited when she realizes she’s going to Camp K-9. “She just bounds in and she’s just as happy when she comes out,” Boyken says.

Sentiments such as that are music to Lori Campbell’s ears, because it means she’s been successful in carrying out the dream she’s had since she was a little girl.

“I always had dogs when I was little and I always wanted to take care of dogs,” says the Wausau native, whose family now has three dogs.

But Campbell admits her dreams were never as grandiose as Camp K-9 has turned out to be, with its nearly 100 spacious heated and air conditioned pens, Doggie Day Camp, pet parties, grooming center and enough staff to give specialized individual attention to the animals.

“It was always a dream of mine to build up and have something real unique for dogs, but I didn’t ever imagine we’d do this,” she says. “But it’s fun and I’m real proud of it.”

The dream began when Duncan was transferred to Madison and the Campbells found the house they now live in. Then owned by a breeder of St. Bernards who also did a little dog boarding, the house included a dozen dog runs coming out of the basement.

“We bought it for boarding and it was going to be my hobby and it turned into this,” laughs Lori Campbell, who previously worked in insurance.

They added the first addition after two years, another addition nearly three years after that and the last two buildings this past January.

Camp K-9 now features:

• Camp Feline. At $7 per night, these 12 multi-level cat cages have ramps up to windows that can be left open for access to an outside pen if the cat has had the feline leukemia vaccine. Multiple cats can stay together if they’re from the same family. “Usually cats are fine at home, but if it’s a week or longer they’ll come in,” Campbell says.
• Bed & Biscuit Suites. At $18 per night, these eight pens are the top-of-the-line digs, with beds, TVs and VCRs with dog videos, special music and “tons of love.” There’s even an ice cream treat on Saturday night if it’s OK’d by the owners. “I had the idea of doing this and we went and looked at a few like it,” Campbell says.
• Badger Rooms. At $12 per night, these 32 pens are for active sport-loving dogs with an emphasis on ball and Frisbee chasing.
• Waggin Tail Rooms. Also at $12 per night, these 28 pens in a separate wing are for dogs with special needs, such as seniors, shy and small dogs.
• Harmony Rooms. Again at $12 per night, these 18 pens feature relaxing music.
• Best Friends. At $22 per night, these are Bed & Biscuit Suites converted over for “mixed” families to board their canine and feline pets together. Each pen has a special get-a-way for kitty.

All the dog pens include fenced grass outdoor running areas that the dogs are let go in for 20 minutes three times per day.

“They get out and race each other up and down the sides of the fences,” Campbell says, “We don’t put them together for safety reasons, unless an owner asks if we get another dog that’s compatible to let them play together.”

For an additional $4.50 per day, a dog gets special one-on-one time with a camp counselor. The 20-minute sessions feature either play, “tender loving care” or a nature walk.

Each boarding pet gets a personalized sheet on its pen with its name and special instructions such as medication.

Doggie Day Camp is $10 per day, $8 if the pet is being boarded. Camp K-9 runs Doggie Day Camp on Monday, Wednesday and Friday ---Tuesday and Thursday are recovery days --- in a special large building and outdoor play area.

“It’s mostly for people who are working all day and have young dogs,” Campbell says. “The dogs need exercise and with the camp they come home and the dog is tired.”

Doggie Day Camp dogs must be spayed or neutered and an application and trial day are required. “We work them in with a couple of dogs we know are good,” Campbell says. “If we notice any signs of aggressiveness,” they’re not allowed back.

Doggie Day Camp is limited to 30 dogs per day and always is at least 75 percent full, Campbell says, adding that another employee may be added so more dogs can be added.

There also are special services such as grooming available; a bath is free with a seven-day stay.

Camp K-9 has six full-time and three part-time employees. The Campbell’s dog-loving daughters --- Kristyn, 9, and Meghan, 8 --- also help out.

Camp K-9 almost always has vacancies during the week, but summer weekends fill up at least six weeks in advance and certain holidays also fill up well in advance.

Despite rates that are above average, Camp K-9 is about 68-72 percent full on average, while the industry standard is that 45 percent is “doing well,” Campbell says.

Though Campbell didn’t want to detail Camp K-9’s financial picture, it’s clear the business is doing well.

That doesn’t surprise Dr. Karen Stokes, a local veterinarian who writes the biweekly, “Animal Talk” column in The Capital Times.

“I think it is kind of trendy,” Stokes says of pampering pets with upscale care. “I think doggy day care is real popular. And I think sometimes it’s a good idea because a lot of times behavior problems can come from lack of attention.”

Doggy day care is such a hot trend that Newsweek recently ran a story on it.

Special attention also is good for animals being boarded, Stokes says.

To take a dog to a boarding facility is really stressful,” she says. “Regular exercise and special attention while they’re there is going to help decrease that stress immensely. I tend to recommend those places that do give them play groups or things like that.”

Campbell says she doesn’t believe a lot of people realize how much work it is taking care of dozens of animals every day --- Camp K-9 is open 365 days a year and the Campbells only occasionally get away for a vacation.

At the same time, she admits she’s living her dream.

But this is as big as it will get, she promises, even though the Campbells do own five more acres adjacent to Camp K-9.

“This is it,” she says. “We’re at the point where we want to be. I just don’t want to lose the real personal, one-on-one attention.”