Dogeden Pet Resort owner Jill Thomas enjoys playing with her furry clients.
In her former life, Jill Thomas was a management consultant, travelling in Canada and the US helping managers and owners improve the performance of their businesses.
It was a grueling job, so in 2024 she says she traded corporate crap for dog crap and has never looked back.
She was not a complete novice to the business as she has operated a pet day care service in Markham since 1997.
Today Jill owns and operates Dogeden, where she provides day care and boarding services for dogs and cats. The business was launched almost30 years ago, operating as the Pet Hotel, launched by a founder with the foresight to see a market for provide high-end care for dogs and cats. Seton thirteen acres of woodland at 1525 Beardsmore Rd., the facility offers a natural setting with easy access. A fewy ears ago Jill and her family purchased the business and changed the name. Dogeden offers day care and boarding services for dogs and cats of all sizes.
Jill explains that most people get into the pet care business for the right reason: they love animals. Some-times they are so focused on the needs of their furry clients that they are weak on some of the pieces that make businesses succeed: good communication and organizational skills. Jill has that covered.
Walking into Dogeden it is clear this is a well-run organization. On arrival, each pet is set up with its own tub for their food and medication, tagged with specific instructions about their care, reminiscent of patient charts at the foot of hospital beds.
Dogeden enjoys well-designed infrastructure that provides comfort, cleanliness and safety for the pets. Safety is the primary concern for Jill and her staff of five: safety for pets and people. This means closing doors behind you every time you walk through a door or gate, and there are plenty of both in this operation. Extensive Fencing allows easy transfer of pets to different play areas and into the building.
Along the corridors are large and small rooms for dogs and cats, each with climate control. Every room has a private run and the doors between the run and the rooms are open throughout the day, allowing pets to go outside any time.
Rooms have concrete floors with drains and a bed. After each departure, the rooms are sanitized with a veterinary-grade cleanser and hosed down with a pressure washer to get them reader for the next occupant. There are six large out-door play areas, five of which are covered with Astroturf to allow regular cleaning. This surface also prevents muddy areas during rainy periods. Vegetation along the perimeters provide the opportunity for sniffing. Exterior fences are set two feet below ground to prevent escapes by proficient diggers. Pets visit these communal play areas four times a day, with careful selection of which dogs go together. Some pets have Do Not Mix signs on their rooms, indicating they do not play well with others. Dogs from the same household can board together in one room.
Signs on the pet rooms provide information to staff about each animal. Meals are delivered from trolleys, much like flight attendants delivering meals on aircraft. Some clients stay at Dogeden for extensive periods of time-more than a month. This can be due to a long vacation or to help customers during periods of illness. One pet is there while the owners settle a custody dispute. Jill includes Veterinarians among her clients, as they appreciate her attention to detail.
Before leaving a pet at boarding kennel, Jill recommends taking a tour of the facility under consideration. This will provide an immediate impression of the kind of care your pet is likely to receive.
The facility is equipped with smoke and heat detectors and alarms for key doors. If an issue arises, Jill lives next door so she can respond quickly.
For more information or to book a tour, online at dogeden-petresort.com,, email info@dogedenpetresort.com or call 705-748-6040.