Jessica Morrison is the owner and operator of The Furmont, which opened in December 2016.
Morrison has plenty of experience with four-legged friends, in fact, she’s been around dogs her entire life. She’s grown up with them, worked in vet clinics and managed SPCAs.
“I’ve dealt with pretty much any personality of a dog you come across,” says Morrison. “Everything from aggressive to nervous to overly friendly.”
She knows the importance of pets in people’s lives and how owners can obsess over leaving their dogs for days or weeks at a time. So the facility is outfitted with all the latest advancements for dogs. In fact, Morrison was so focused on putting everything in place for the canines who stay at the 19-suite kennel, for the first several weeks she was open she had yet to get a front desk for herself.
But now, everything is in place and things are going well. There are large, medium and small suites that can accommodate multiple dogs from the same family.
Some of the amenities include Kuranda orthopedic and chew-proof dog beds, soundproofing, climate-controlled space, including an HVAC ventilation system with heat pump and air conditioning, and calming music that plays over a speaker.
Morrison put in a multipurpose area with a walk-in tub for the dogs and now there’s an in-house groomer who rents space.
One of the coolest, new-fangled features is the camera system, which offers views of each of the suites, which Morrison can check on her phone. She calls it a big stress reliever.
“I, myself, obsess over looking at the cameras,” she says.
While she lives right next to the building, she found if she went at night to check on the dogs, she’d wake them up — and once the barking started, it wasn’t long before every single dog was up and joining the chorus. So, the cameras are an ideal addition.
There’s a large playroom off the reception area where dogs can socialize and play. Morrison says some dogs run and chase balls while others are content to curl up with her. And the cuddle sessions are perfectly fine with her.
Those are the moments when she thinks, I love my job.
She said the playroom is great for nervous dogs, because when the space is empty, Morrison can use it to get acquainted with new dogs, making sure all parties are comfortable.
She knows all too well the struggles of an easily agitated dog, she says. One of her own pups, Fixer, is a little skittish.
Oreo is one of the anxious regulars at The Furmont.
“Oreo is nervous of everything,” said Morrison.
But now, after several stays, Morrison said Oreo cries to come inside as soon as her people pull into the parking lot and runs straight to the kennel she consistently stays in.
“You just have to say to her, ‘Oreo, time to go to your room!’”
The playroom connects to an outdoor play area that is secured with roller bars on top of high fences built deep into the ground to prevent dogs from getting loose.
With all the amenities at their paws, Morrison hopes once the clients come to pick up the pups, everyone is satisfied.
“My goal is the dogs won’t want to leave,” she says.
