No doubt, if you’ve traveled along Sixth Avenue near Mildred Street in Tacoma, you’ve seen the walls going up.
What first might have looked like a warehouse or storage site is the new $3 million home of Biscuits Doggie Daycare and Pet Resort, currently next door at 6814 Sixth Ave.
The original day-care opened in July 2015. The family operation has had plans in the works for awhile for the new, 10,000-square-foot facility. “We always talked about it,” said Nichole Bennett, manager and co-owner with her family.
After about a year in business and seeing it take off, the family put its plans in motion.
The new building will have five playrooms and training space “to separate dogs by size and playstyle – keeping all of our dogs safe and happy,” Bennett said.
Plus, she said, “Each playroom has epoxy-coated rubber flooring, and each room has its own HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) with ultraviolet lights to kill both viruses and bacteria to provide the best possible air quality.”
The large dog playrooms have 20-foot-tall ceilings to keep the dogs calmer and happier, Bennett said. The day care’s “custom indoor sleeping accommodations” cost more than $2,000 apiece.
And finally, “K-9 grass installed in each outdoor space provides the dogs with sanitary, clean and comfy outdoor spaces to do their business,” Bennett said.
For now, Biscuits offers overnight boarding, which is limited to its current day-care clients. The new site will provide enough space to serve anyone “with a day-care compatible dog,” Bennett said.
And yes, the site is just for dogs. Don’t ask about bringing your cat, please.
While the maximum occupancy rate in the space is still a moving target, according to Bennett, “We’re going to keep the number of dogs per day at less than 100, which will keep the business in the black.”
An open house is planned for 1-4 pm Aug. 12, with the business opening by Aug. 15.
“It’s important for us to let people know that we want to do this right,” Bennett said, “and provide a safe, happy, loving environment for dogs.”
For more information, including day-care fees, go to biscuitsdoggiedaycare.com.