Since 1971: boarding pets on Midway Road

The story is a simple one: a country kennel that grew into a second building in 2022.

The original building

The 1971 building is still in use today for the Economy Class runs: about 16 square feet inside with about 48 square feet outside, sized for several small or medium dogs or one large dog.

Planning the second building

Ground broke on September 24, 2020; by the March 2021 concrete pour the project had been 18 months in planning. The plan was a 50-run kennel building with ten First Class kennels, forty larger runs, a cattery, a lobby and an ADA accessible restroom, while the kennel stayed open the whole time.

Building it

Concrete went in through the spring and summer of 2021, including stem walls with 25 doggie doors on each side. A water tank and fire-suppression pumps came next, then steel in January 2022. By June the electrical, plumbing and heating and air ducts were in, and by August 2022 the last kennel runs were being assembled.

Opening day

The new building opened for dogs and cats on October 5, 2022, and a grand-opening celebration followed with portraits of guests by a visiting pet photographer. You can see some of those photos in the gallery.

1. 1971

   The original kennel building is built on Midway Road, about ten country acres near Dixon.

   

2. 2008

   Happy Paws Kennels opens under its current name.

3. Sept 2020

   Ground breaks on a second building.

4. Aug 2021 to Aug 2022

   Steel, concrete, runs, HVAC, fire sprinklers and the pump house go in.

5. Oct 5, 2022

   The new building opens: a lobby, the cattery, a meal-prep room and 50 new indoor/outdoor runs, each with an inside and an outside side: ten First Class and forty Business Class kennels.

   

6. Today

   Caring for pets in Dixon since 1971, with 100 indoor/outdoor runs across both buildings.