In the dog house

Doggy day care discovers it must relocate

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 3/26/15

For just over two years Bow chika Wow Town has served not only the dog community of Warwick but dog owners from across the state.

Now their business may just be in jeopardy and they are turning …

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In the dog house

Doggy day care discovers it must relocate

Posted

For just over two years Bow chika Wow Town has served not only the dog community of Warwick but dog owners from across the state.

Now their business may just be in jeopardy and they are turning to their loyal customer base to help them relocate their facilities.

Bow chika Wow Town is the only indoor dog park in the northeast and offers dog daycare and boarding.

Their current 8,500-square-foot building, at 450 Pavilion Ave., Warwick, needs repairs to bring it up to code, including a handicap ramp and another bathroom, among other things. Their landlord, though, is refusing to make the upgrades and isn’t permitting Bow chika Wow Town to make them either.

Currently, the business is just over two years into their seven-year lease, but without the necessary repairs Bow chika Wow Town would be forced to close.

The repairs were supposed to be finished in February, but the city’s Building Department, hearing the predicament, gave the business an extension until June to work with the landlord on getting the building up to code, a project Alisa Paykos-Theurer, owner of Bow chika Wow Town, said would cost less than $15,000

Although she is still negotiating with the landlord, Paykos-Theurer is looking to relocate her business elsewhere. She said that although she could speculate as to why the landlord is refusing, she couldn’t know for sure because the landlord is keeping very quiet. She has refused to give his name.

The Beacon placed several calls and left voicemails to the landlord that had not been returned by deadline Wednesday afternoon.

Mayor Scott Avedisian, who was present for the Bow chika Wow Town ribbon cutting in December 2012 and has been an advocate for the business since, said he is confused as to why the landlord would not want to keep the organization around.

“Why wouldn’t you want to keep a successful business? One that attracts the type of customers you would want to see and profit from that?” Avedisian said.

Last month alone, Bow chika Wow Town housed 500 dogs for their day care, around 350 for their boarding services. The company has a 65 percent retention rate of customers and has seen a consistent 30 percent growth in their business every month according to Paykos-Theurer.

Customers rave about the business as well.

John Cheney and his yellow lab Colby have been using Bow chika Wow Town’s services since they opened about four to five times a week.

“They have been a fantastic service. Their employees take pride in their jobs and care for the animals as if they were their own,” Cheney said.

Julius, a golden retriever mix and his owner, Amy Sylvia, have been going four times a week for the past year and a half and recommend Bow chika Wow Town to all their friends.

Sylvia said, “They are in a pretty bad situation and I’m willing to help however I can. They built up a clientele and I don’t think its fair what’s happening, but I’ll go where they do.”

Bow chika Wow Town tries to be a “hub for the dog community,” not only a place for dogs to play, but also a place for “owners to become better advocates for their dogs,” Paykos-Theurer said.

Robin Cogswell, whose pit bull mix, Jake, has been visiting the company for the past 2½ months said the staff has helped to change her life.

Jake was a rescue dog and had been brutally abused by his previous owner. Because of this he was “extremely fearful” of humans and even Cogswell initially. Cogswell began using Bow chika Wow Town to help socialize Jake.

“Going there every day has completely changed Jake,” Cogswell said. “He is friendly, sociable and doesn’t cower around people anymore. I can’t praise them enough.”

Avedisian said, “What makes this business great is that they genuinely care. The staff there becomes an extension of your family.”

Paykos-Theurer said, “I am not here to mudsling the landlord. What matters is sustaining this business and the community we have created here. I don’t want to bring negativity to anyone. It’s about this community and our dogs.”

This is why they are looking to relocate and are asking for help.

Paykos-Theurer sent an email out to all their clientele to let them know and also asked if anyone knew of ways to help them. Immediately, emails started pouring back in with suggestions and contacts.

“People love us here and they want to help. It’s humbling; I didn’t anticipate the length people would go to see us succeed,” she said.

The business is creating a Kickstarter page, an online fundraising platform, looking to raise $30,000. The money would go to establishing and sustaining the new building with the security, safety precautions and “feel” customers have come to know Bow chicka Wow Town for.

Paykos-Theurer is looking to stay in Warwick and has visited a few possible buildings between 10,000 and 13,000 square feet, one near City Hall and the other on Jefferson Boulevard.

She said, “This is our customer base, our dogs live here. We are not trying to leave our home.”

“They have a great small business with a great following that wants to see them flourish here in Warwick,” Avedisian said. “I am willing to do what I can to help them stay here in Warwick and get them the facility they need.

One of the employees, Ryan McFarland, is optimistic. He thinks there will be a lot of support for the campaign and Bow chika Wow Town will get the funds it needs.

He said. “Whatever happens I think it will be positive. If we have to move we will probably have a bigger facility for the dogs to play or if we stay we know how much the community wants us here.”

If negotiations with the landlord move in a positive direction and Bow chika Wow Town can stay where they are, any money raised would go to the projects needed to bring the facility up to code. Any funds left over would help the business continue to improve their facility, adding kennel space, hosting community events, a self washing station, new flooring and possibly a camera system that would allow owners to check on their dogs online, many things they had already planned to implement this year.

“Before all this happened we were on target for a very successful year,” Paykos-Theurer said. “There are so many ways to help that we haven’t touched on yet, and 2015 was supposed to be the year for that, but so far we have been preoccupied with the relocation.”

This weekend Bow chika Wow Town will be filming a short video for their Kickstarter page and the online fundraiser should go live sometime during the first week of April

Paykos-Theurer said, “It’s more than just letting dogs play. We have built a community of trusting relationships, and it would be unfortunate for Rhode Island to lose this. I can only hope we have an opportunity to continue to serve.

For more information on Bow chika Wow Town visit their website, www.bowchikawowtown.com.

Comments

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  • MikeDuPonte

    I backed that project!

    This game looks awesome too - it fully-funded on its first day and it's only $10 for the full game:

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grubtongames/a-chaotic-life-a-hectic-and-strategic-game-of-poor

    Thursday, March 26, 2015 Report this

  • Debbie51

    I will do all I have to do to support this cause. My dog has been going to the town since it opened. It would be a great disservice to my dog if he couldn't go anymore. Plus it gave us our lives back so we can go away and feel confident our baby is loved, in good hands, and is having fun with his friends

    Thursday, March 26, 2015 Report this

  • Bettymann

    Interesting... I wonder if the owner burned bridges with her landlord, like she has done with some of the members?

    Or maybe he wants to sell the land to the Airport located across the street?

    Either way good luck!

    Thursday, March 26, 2015 Report this