Direct Animal Products Blog

Why Glass Kennel Doors

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:59:59 -0600

There are so many benefits to glass kennel doors. The most obvious is how nice they look, they reduce anxiety in animals by eliminating the caged in feeling they get from rod doors and also reduce noise from animals barking by containing the noise somewhat. It’s a common belief they cut down on the spread of disease which occurs when humans touch dogs’ noses going down a long row of kennels and finally glass doors are easy to clean. It’s a misnomer that glass doors are harder to clean than rod doors. You can see when the glass is dirty and you can’t really see when the rod is dirty, as a result the rod doors don’t truly get cleaned and disinfected properly. If someone wanted to take the time to clean the rod doors it would take quite a bit longer than spraying down and squiggying the glass. Now if you have rod doors, all is not lost. They are extremely durable and will last and last and last so they are a perfectly good investment, which is why most animal shelters gravitate toward them. However these days most architects are specifying glass doors even in animal control environments for all the reasons stated above. Recently we posted a picture of one of our rod doors on our Face Book page with the caption “This is a great example of the all-stainless units being used in animal sheltering environments today. Stainless is very sanitary and easy to clean.” The first comment was from Animal Arts, a highly respected architectural firm, specializing in animal shelter design and they commented “We'd prefer to see it specified with full glass doors and upper divider panels, but regardless, nice installation!” Another great option for animal shelters is the swivel bowl feeders. They allow shelter or boarding personnel to feed and water without opening the door. This eliminates the chance of an animal trying to rush the door and in an animal shelter environment can be an added safety measure against an aggressive animal. We use ¼” tempered clear glass which is a durable and holds up well in these type settings. There are some companies that use 3/16” which is a thinner glass but for the most part ¼” tempered clear glass is an industry standard. Others still use Lexan or plastic in their cat condos for instance, but we have always used the ¼” clear tempered glass simply for the fact that is a longer lasting and more durable product. There are many pros that glass doors provide for both employees and animals, so consider all of this when it comes time to build a new facility or remodel an existing one.

5 Questions You Need Answered Before Buying A Mobile Grooming Trailer

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:05:27 -0600

First, how long has the manufacturer been in business and how much thought has been put into the lay out? I’m not saying always go with the company who has been in business the longest, but it stands to reason that the newest guy in the industry is still fine-tuning his product and the guy who’s been doing it longest has a lot of experience, but may not be as innovative. It’s important to ask who designed the interior lay out? Did they at least have the input of a groomer or is the inside based off an experienced groomer who knows time is money and an ideal layout equals profitability.

Second, what equipment comes standard in the trailer? You’ll need a bathing tub, dryer, grooming table, generator and bathing system. Is the standard equipment top of the line or did they sacrifice quality to save a buck? “The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done.”-John Ruskin. Not only should the equipment be top of the line, but placement of the equipment is key for the reason mentioned earlier (time=money).

Third, what materials are used in the interior? Some manufacturers buy cookie cutter trailers and modify them for grooming so you must be careful and verify that your trailer was designed for grooming and not modified for grooming. You’ll need to make sure the manufacturer has done his research to insure that all of the interior can stand up to moisture, heat and can even be hosed out at the end of a particularly busy day. If you hose out the trailer, does each piece of equipment have a protective enclosure so you can clean without fear of damaging your nice stuff? When it comes to the walls, I recommend aluminum. If it’s durable enough for the exterior of a trailer, it’s definitely going to hold up on the inside as well. Moisture is your number one concern in a mobile grooming trailer so you want to make sure that not only the best materials have been chosen but the best construction techniques have been utilized as well. You’re going to be spending a lot of time at your business so it needs to be well built and comfortable.

Fourth, resale value. If you want to have a high resale value, you need to start out with something valuable and then take care of it. We all know in this life, you get what you pay for, it’s true for jewelry, furniture and mobile grooming trailers. If someone is offering you the highest quality and the cheapest price don’t walk, run! As Mr. Ruskin mentioned earlier, the two cannot exist together. He also says “there is hardly anything in the world that someone can’t make a little worse and sell a little cheaper-and the people who consider price alone are this man’s lawful prey”. (but I digress) A nice trailer will have safeguards in place to protect against rot. It should be undercoated for protection from outside elements. Interior walls should be water proof and rust proof, be properly ventilated (remember you’ll have a dryer running in there for a considerable number of hours daily) and have a heavy duty, commercial generator. These are just a few items. I’ll add to this in a future blog or feel free to call me. I won’t charge you a dime to pick my brain.

Fifth and final is support after the sale. Some manufacturers are available during business hours (keep in mind groomers’ business hours differ from a manufacturer’s). Others will give you their personal cell phone numbers so you’ll want to keep that in mind when comparing one company to another. Groomers are a lot more savvy than they get credit for. Most groomers have been their own boss’ for years, and their own marketing department, sales staff, land lords, etc. Whether you’re making the move from store front to mobile or adding value to your business by getting in on the mobile grooming trend, you want to get the best trailer your money can buy. The bottom line is every grooming trailer manufacturer promises high quality, but that’s just marketing. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, quality and durability are things that can actually be measured and compared and we hope you’ll do a lot of research and become informed before you make a purchase.

Jeff Lewin, Vice President

Amber’s Mobile Pet Salons, Inc.

951-536-0985

www.ambersmobilepetsalons.com

Raised Kennel Runs: Increase Revenue Without Costly Construction

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:49:26 -0600

In the April Issue of Veterinary Economics, Gary Glassman, CPA says about Boarding & Grooming “Every square foot of your hospital, if not used for storage, needs to produce income. From a financial standpoint, boarding makes great sense. The most profitable veterinary practices I work with are those that offer significant boarding and grooming.

You already pay for the space so you might as well use it. You’ll pay wages and benefits for boarding staff, but the rest of the income goes straight to your bottom line. With grooming, the numbers aren’t quite so easy, but boarding and grooming do nicely go hand-in-hand. No one wants to send a dog home from boarding without being bathed or groomed and grooming as a service can lead to a boarding opportunity as well as medical opportunities. To make boarding and grooming work for you, you must market appropriately. Offer luxury boarding suites at premium rates, and you’ll be surprised how quickly they book up. Always offer complimentary pre-board exams, and assign a technician to the boarding kennel each day to check for medical issues. A lot of veterinarians see boarding and grooming as a management headache, and just want to stick to practicing medicine, but there are many great business opportunities in offering services that will benefit your clients as well. Find the right person to manage these services and you’ll reap great rewards for your practice and your patients.” We’ve heard this for a few years now in the design conferences we have participated in and one of the obstacles veterinarians face in offering boarding in an existing facility is how to incorporate kennel runs without costly renovations to the floors, and if you’re in a leased strip center, a lot of times you can’t make the changes needed to add a few boarding kennels. If either of these situations apply to you, you might consider looking into raised floor kennel runs. This type of run can be easily incorporated into an existing practice without the expense of ripping up the floors to accommodate trough drains, etc. Our raised kennel is a true self-contained unit, with numerous options (stainless steel, 1/4” solid HDPE, glass doors, rod doors, doors that clear glass at the top and patterned glass at the bottom, swivel bowl feeders, isolation panels, ventilation panels and so on) What is unique about our raised floor kennels is that we include a collection pan (without a collection pan the urine and fecal matter that is hosed down goes directly onto the floor. We also have sub-flooring which elevates the dog up off the floor and out of their own waste, keeping them clean and dry. Underneath the sub-floor is the base floor that has cross breaks that move fluids down toward the drain to a nipple that connects to PVC that then takes the fluids away. One last thing, when purchasing a kennel of any kind, it’s important to find out exactly what each component is made of. For example if a kennel has flooring that is fiber glass, a dog could dig at the flooring, removing the protective coating and get fiberglass in his paws. You want to make sure that any surface that has to be cleaned and disinfected is made of a material that can withstand proper maintenance. Offering boarding services is an excellent way to add value for your existing clients and bring in new clients too.

View of the nipple that attaches to the pipe

All Stainless Raised Floor Kennel, featuring Collection Pan, Sub-flooring and floor with cross breaks.

Our doors swing in and out, this allows you to board, even in a narrow room.

More Information click here

A Groomer’s Best Friend: Elevating/Lifting Pet Bathing Tub

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:33:12 -0600

Our Hydraulic Bathing tub is an ideal design for groomers looking for a lifting or elevating tub. A lot of groomers are owner operators which means at the end of the day, you are your business so your longevity is of the utmost importance. For this reason there has been a recent movement to educate groomers on ergonomics and proper body mechanics. Most pet bathing tub manufacturers today offer a bathing tub with a ramp or walk-up stairs to alleviate the back strain that comes with lifting dogs in and out of the bathing tub. Taking it a step further, we’ve designed a lifting bathing tub. The most important feature of our design is that it lowers to 8” off the ground, that’s lower than any other designs we’ve researched. It has a hand held remote for lowering and raising and a leash rail that allows you to attach a leash and move the dog around without hooking and unhooking in multiple locations. High back and side splashes will keep the water inside the tub and off of your surrounding walls. The tub is constructed of 16ga stainless, which is truly heavy duty. When comparing the gauge of stainless please note that the lower the gauge the heavier the stainless, i.e. 16 is heavier than 18. When you’re considering purchasing a bathing tub, it’s important to compare manufacturers not only by price but by product. Determine which factors are important and how often you use the piece of equipment each day. If a tub doesn’t lower enough, you may still have to perform some sort of lifting. I’ve compiled a list of great questions we’ve gotten over the years that may be helpful for you to ask as well:

1.) What is the tub made of? (determine pros and cons of materials that will be repeatedly wet and scratched with dog ‘s nails) Most hydraulic tubs will be stainless, so be sure you ask the gauge, the smaller the number the more heavy duty and durable)

2.)How is it constructed? Is it fully welded, silicone and pop riveted?

3.) Does it ship fully assembled?

4.) What is the warranty period and what is covered under the warranty?

5.) A good salesperson will not only know his products, but competitor’s products as well so ask “what makes your tub better than anyone else’s on the market?

If you’re considering a large purchase it’s always a good idea to try to get to a tradeshow where multiple vendors with hydraulic tubs will be showcasing their products. A demonstration of the tub and seeing the workmanship up close is really important.

No matter what we’re designing, we always consider the end user and how operating our equipment day to day will affect their longevity in this very physical industry.

One of our smart clients lowers the tub, loads their larger dogs and when it’s time to go from the tub to the grooming table, they roll their grooming table over to the tub, lock the wheels and load the dog directly onto the grooming table. <img class="left" src="assets/image2.jpeg" mce_src="assets/image2.jpeg" width="320" height="240" alt="" title=""/> <img class="left" src="assets/image6.jpeg" mce_src="assets/image6.jpeg" width="320" height="240" alt="" title=""/><img class="left" src="assets/image13.jpeg" mce_src="assets/image13.jpeg" width="320" height="240" alt="" title=""/>

One of our smart clients lowers the tub, loads their larger dogs and when it’s time to go from the tub to the grooming table, they roll their grooming table over to the tub, lock the wheels and load the dog directly onto the grooming table.

The Perfect Doggie Day Care Swimming Pool Design: A Cure For Boredom And Overheating

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:25:48 -0600

Some breeds love the water and they will dive right in, but let’s face it a lot of breeds avoid it like the plague. At Pompano Pet Lodge, our pool is a major attraction, I believe because we designed it from a dog’s perspective (we always try to see things through the eyes of a dog, both big and small). It’s challenging to think up new ways to play with the dogs, but it’s important to keep the activity level up so your clients get their money’s worth and the pool provides hours of entertainment for the dogs and the staff.

We are located in Southern Florida and overheating is a big issue for us so we not only wanted a pool, but we knew we were going to have to think outside the box of the traditional pool design in order to get all the dogs in and out of the pool several times a day to keep them cooled off. This is what we came up with and it has worked incredibly well. When we open the gates to the outdoor play area, it’s a free for all with dogs rushing to the pool:

No 90 degree corners {Hair will collect in the corners, Round corners allow hair to float into the skimmer}
Shallow Entry 360 degrees around {Beach entry all the way around is key. If dogs get into a pool and cannot see an easy way out they will avoid ever getting back in. A beach entry all the way around allows them easy access both in and out. Our design is 2’ deep in the center and 3” deep around the entire perimeter}
Decking-when choosing decking keep in mind nothing too course (dog’s pads can tear easier when wet) and nothing too slick/slippery.
Your pump motor-nothing special for the pump system, a typical home pool motor will work
Skimmer Baskets-they’ll get so full of hair so fast, we’ve found using pool “socks” over the skimmer baskets allow us to remove the hair, quickly and easily
Use river rock as the finish of your pool. It’s the only thing that will hold up to dog’s nails
Filters – we use 550 square foot, commercial grade cartridge filters. They run approx. $700/ea. We replace the cartridges every 3 years and the price of the cartridge runs about $350. {Your pool guy will tell you that you don’t need a filter of this magnitude for a pool that only holds 6,000 gallons of water (a back yard pool holds about 15K-23K gallons of water), but here’s why you do. Human beings, wearing sunscreen are oil based, a dog’s hair is grease based so basically 1 dog is equivalent to 10 humans wearing sunscreen, and depending on the number of dogs in your care, you get the idea.}
Superior Aqua is an ingenious purification system for your home and your pool. It’s used at a lot of resorts and hotels, even multiple features at Disney World! {Salt and chlorine are basically the same thing when it comes to swimming pools. We use the Superior system which uses copper & ozone to purify the water. I recommend contacting Superior Aqua www.superioraqua.com * Phone: 800-225-0119 for the specifics, but basically what you’re left with is pure, clean water that resists algae and won’t leave a sting in your eye. [By the way, your pool guy won’t tell you about it because then he can’t sell you a bunch of chemicals!]}

There is nothing worse than spending the money on a swimming pool in your doggie daycare, only to see that a vast majority of the dogs will not use it. This design will cost you about the same as a traditional back yard pool and is well worth the money, keeping dogs entertained and cooled off!

My final word is one of caution. If you don’t have artificial grass/turf at your facility then a pool may not be the best idea. Grass and dirt will dirty your pool and clog up the filter, not to mention the mud situation that will make maintaining a nice facility a nightmare. If you have natural grass and are planning to install a pool in a separate, gated area that could work. If you’re interested in artificial turf, check out my blog on How Artificial Turf Increased My Dog Daycare Business 250%

John Glorieux: 12 years managing the largest and one of the most innovative pet facilities in South Florida offering boarding, daycare training and grooming. john@pompanopetlodge.com

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Foster Programs for Animal Shelters

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:43:26 -0700

Why Foster

Public Perception that the shelter is a great place to adopt a loving animal
Free Labor – if you have a new litter they need lots of around the clock care, and fosters love puppies and kittens so having them foster a new litter is a win/win
Increased Visibility which can result in increased donations
Decreases employee burnout. If you’ve got shelter employees who are tending to the shelter animals all day long and then take an animal home to care for them at night, you can do the math on that one.
Animals who are fostered will be more adoptable upon their return (socialized, potty trained, obedience trained, etc.)
- If Foster parents can take a picture and write a bio for the animal they’ve fostered, it helps the animal match up to the best adoptive family.
  - Ex: “Coco loves kids, but does not care for other dogs.” “Loves her daily walk. She will thrive in an active home”

Benefits to the shelter. Increased services without increased cost, and more efficient use of staff time. If fosters can provide a loving, stable atmosphere, the staff can be doing more at the shelter which makes for healthier, happier animals and less risk of diseases.

The City of Plano in year 2005-2006

No foster program, outside of employees

No training, very informal

Employees suffered burnout

Compared to 2006-2007

We appointed a Volunteer Foster Coordinator, who was available to answer after hours questions, handled the interview process for potential foster families, held mandatory orientation for all potential fosters and conducted regular evaluations. If you can find a foster coordinator with a veterinary back ground, all the better. This will allow them to assess if a foster animal needs to see a veterinarian for what a foster may see as an emergency or if they can wait until the following day and see a vet that works closely with the shelter to keep the cost down, etc.

Instituting a foster program of your own:

1st-appoint a Foster Coordinator. This should be someone you trust to make sound decisions. Their responsibilities will be:

Main contact for current and potential fosters
Answer any questions
Authorize treatments
Follow ups

2^nd-Restrictions for Fosters:

Geographically desirable. They need to be close enough to the shelter that if it’s not working out and you have to go pick up the animal, you’re not traveling 3 hours, round trip to reach them.
Children. Small children can be a danger to puppies and small dogs
Other pets. Do you want to require their pets be sterile?
- Definitely want to require their pets be up to date on their vaccinations
- Previous experience. Do you want them to have previous experience caring for a pet?

3^rd-Paperwork:

Liability releases – seek an attorney’s advice on this one. You definitely want to include the language “Can’t guarantee the health or temperament of the animal.”
Confidentiality Agreements – gives you the authority to stop a person from bad mouthing you in the event the foster “goes bad”. With social media a bad experience can go viral fast and having the confidentiality gives you a powerful tool to put a stop to the slander.

In addition to these things you’ll want to establish Standard Operating Procedures. Make sure shelter and foster responsibilities are clearly defined.

Require pets be kept separate from foster pets
Ownership Agreements-make sure you state the animal belongs to the shelter and they are housing it for you and when you ask for it back, they have to give it back to you
Inspection Agreements-you should be allowed to come at a reasonable hour to check on the animal. Typically just having one in place will help keep out non-ideal candidates.

It’s important to have an orientation and you can often offer specialized training by local trainers who can donate their services (exposure for them). They can offer advice on obedience, pet first aid and potty training. The idea is that the animal is more adoptable when you get it back from the foster.

Recruiting Fosters

Social Media is a great way to announce your campaign and obtain free advertising for your new program
Community volunteer agencies and media outlets. Your local news will likely welcome a weekly spotlight, featuring an animal available for foster/adoption
Shelter signage
Senior Centers. These are great places to find fosters for the older animals that have a hard time being chosen. Seniors get a companion and something to take care of and the animal gets lots of love and attention
Word of mouth

*Media coverage. The local media tends to cover cruelty cases and seizures so it’s a great time to let the media know that you are not set up for large scale seizures and ask for the public’s help in volunteering for your foster program.

Screening Fosters

Get identification-know the address where animals will be kept. Unless they’re a student, the address on their driver’s license should match their current address listed on the application
Background check- www.publicdata.com is an easy way to check for any type of criminal record, etc..
Check county appraisal district records to know if they own or rent. The owner of the property needs to know that there is a pet on premises so if you have a renter, you may want to require a letter from the land lord giving permission for the animal.
Find out about the potential’s lifestyle. You want to match the pet to the lifestyle as much as possible.
Pet history-have they lost pets in the past or had pets die accidentally. If so they may not be a good candidate.
Do their personal views conflict with your work as a shelter? Sometimes education regarding why overcrowding and keeping an animal locked up for most of their life is cruel and euthanasia is often the only alternative if a home can’t be found within a reasonable period of time.

References-You’ll want to obtain a reference from their current vet to make sure they take care of their own animals before giving them a new one to foster.

Retaining Fosters

Appreciation Days –thank them by recognizing them in a small celebration. A thank you goes such a long way
Feedback-give lots of nice feedback on a regular basis so they know their efforts are appreciated
Public acknowledgement/Milestone Awards-you can host a luncheon for your volunteers and name a foster of the year award. You can invite the mayor to hand it out and have the local newspaper write an article. (bonus exposure for your shelter and foster program!)
Each year TACA (Texas Animal Control Association www.taca.org ) and NACA (National Animal Control Association www.nacanet.org ) award a Volunteer of the Year award. You can nominate one of your fosters.
Another great way to retain fosters is to let them know their efforts are critical in increasing animal adoptions by sending a follow up email with pictures and an update from the animal’s new home. This will often re-energize them to continue to foster

Best Practices

Litters-vaccinate at 2 weeks prior to returning to the shelter. Sterilize & booster the day of return. Get them returned at 8-9 weeks. The longer the foster waits to return them, the harder it is to get them adopted. Everyone wants new puppies and kittens so there is a small window for adoption.
Coordinate return of fostered animals with times of the year when adoptions are up
- For example-holidays are prime adopting season, especially Christmas so try to get fosters back in house in time for adoption seasons.
Provide collapsible cages for housing while in the care of a foster home. This helps an animal start on crate training and when they are returned to the shelter, they will feel more at ease.
Involving the foster in permanent placement of the animal can be positive if they’re good fosters. They are often more thorough because they’ve formed an attachment and want to insure the animal is going to a loving home and will be well cared for, long term.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS identify foster animals upon their return to the shelter so you can let the foster family know prior to euthanasia.

JAMEY CANTRELL

Jamey Cantrell began working with animals 1993 and his first job in a shelter was a kennel Technician for the Humane Society of North Texas in 1995. He learned to perform every service the shelter provided, from adoptions to emergency rescues of injured animals to cruelty investigations, and worked his way up to the position of Staff Coordinator by 1997. After a brief stint as an Animal Services Officer for the City of Benbrook, Jamey was lured back to HSNT where he took over the position of Director of Shelter Operations. He held that position for five years, managing the day to day operations of the largest full-service animal shelter in North Texas, until leaving in July of 2003 to become the Animal Services Manager for the City of Lubbock. After making great strides in a relatively short amount of time, Jamey returned to the D/FW area when he accepted the position of Animal Control Supervisor for the City of Bedford in July 2004. He led Bedford to the prestigious Texas Animal Control Association’s Animal Control & Welfare Agency of the Year award for 2005 despite the fact that one third of his staff was laid off due to budget cuts that year. In early 2007, Jamey accepted his current position of Animal Services Manager for the City of Plano where he is working to expand the shelter’s outreach and educational programs and improve upon the city’s placement rate of more than 80% of all animals handled. Jamey has wide-ranging experience and has managed small (1-6 employees), medium (20-25 employees), and large (50+ employees) shelters, private shelters run entirely on donations, private shelters with municipal contracts, and tax-funded municipal shelters and serves on the Board of Directors for TXFACS.

jameyC@plano.gov | www.planoanimalshelter.org

Tags: Animal Shelter information, TXFACS, Animal Shelter Foster Programs, Jamey Cantrell, City of Plano Animal Services, Animal Shelter Advice, NACA, TACA

How Artificial Turf Increased My Dog Daycare Business 250%

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:09:26 -0700

I operate a large boarding facility and doggie daycare in Southern Florida. The upkeep of the grass and annual replacement costs led me to consider utilizing artificial turf as a permanent solution. I spent about 7 months researching various companies and products and learned more than I thought I’d care to know about the stuff. If you’re considering artificial turf for your doggie daycare or boarding facility, I know you’ll find this information beneficial.

There are 3 main components that make up artificial turf:

Backing – holds the grass in place

Infill – holds the blades up and protects the backing

Blades-the green stuff, visible to the eye

There are many types of backing, infill and blades. I’ve found the ideal recipe of each for my part of the country and what I believe will work for pet play and stay facilities.

What to look for in each component:

Backing - Since the blades you choose will be woven directly into the backing you want to make sure the “Tuft Bind”( Tuft bind is the strength of the attachment of the yarn to the backing material of the turf and is measured in lbs/force.) is a minimum of 6 pounds since you’ll have playful dogs running and possibly trying to dig at the turf. The black rubber backing and not woven mesh backing is the only way to go when pets are the main focus. As a side note, I’ve had dogs dig holes in my grass, but once the turf went in, my “diggers” gave up when they realized they couldn’t get any digging satisfaction from the turf.

Infill –For years the two main choices for infill were rubber or sand, but I came across Envirofill www.usgreentech.com which is unlike any other infill product out there and is ideal for my application. It’s non-toxic and eco-friendly and has a natural quartz core, with an acrylic coating. The purpose of infill is to hold down the grass and protect the backing. I highly recommend Envirofill and no, they’re not paying me to say that. Another added benefit of using this product over black rubber is the heat factor. Black rubber infill gets very hot in the summer time, making dogs do the high-step, and once it’s hot it becomes tacky and can stick to dog fur. Envirofill actually cooled my black backing by 4 degrees in the hottest days of the year. This is a picture of an individual Envirofill grain, cut in half to see the quartz core.

Blade-you have to choose face weight, height and material when you’re shopping for a blade. For doggie day care lawns, the ideal face weight is a minimum of 60oz per square foot, height should be 1 1/8-1 3/4” tall and always, always 100% polyethylene.

To install or not to install, that is the question.

Artificial turf is as easy to install as carpet so if you’re handy and you have the time, you could install the stuff yourself. I chose to use an installer which allowed me to choose from all of the backing, blades and infills he or I had access too. The turf you choose will have a manufacturer’s warranty, standard is about 8 years and if you use an installer he should warranty his work as well.

Pros of Natural Grass-The initial cost is much less to install a natural lawn. Artificial turf is expensive to install on the front end, however it will pay for itself when you calculate being in business for a number of years and not having to water, fertilize, put in sprinkler systems, and replace the lawn annually, like I was doing. It cost me about $4,500 each year to replace the lawn and an additional $7,000 a year to maintain it. The high quality artificial turf I put in cost me about $80,000, but the benefits have far outweighed the cost and it’s an improvement that has given my facility year round curb appeal and resulted in increased business.

Cons of Natural Grass-Grass and mud make for a dirty combination, dirty employees, dirty animals, not to mention all the digging. Dogs are stuck inside when it’s raining and usually for a few hours if not the rest of the day after it’s rained because of the mud factor and fleas and ticks thrive in grass which is a problem when you’ve got so many animals from different households. If your facility gives a client’s dog fleas, you can bet they probably won’t be back.

Cons of Artificial Turf- Cost. It’s expensive to install the quality stuff that’s going to last. You’re looking at about $7.50 to $10/square foot installed if you use my suggested blend.

Pros of Artificial Turf-Curb appeal, the grass is green all year long, the dogs stay cleaner, employees stay cleaner,and the facility as a whole stays cleaner. No allergies or that redness that can occur with natural grass, no fertilizing, the dogs can be in and out of the pool without getting the pool full of grass and dirt and when it rains, as long as it’s not a down pour or lightening, we can stay outside. Even if there is a down pour, the dogs can go right back outside as soon as the rain stops. The best benefit of all is that my daycare business has increased 2 ½ times, even after raising the daycare rates 15%, which has helped offset the cost of the turf and after 8 years, it will have cost me the same as maintaining a natural lawn.

Here are some photos of the turf in use at www.pompanopetlodge.com.

One honest source of information you can believe in is shawnk@turfstore.com. (And he does not pay me either)

John Glorieux: 12 years managing the largest and one of the most innovative pet facilities in South Florida offering boarding, daycare training and grooming. john@pompanopetlodge.com

The Value of Pet Playroom Structures

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:36:33 -0700

The benefits of including cat and dog play structures in your boarding facility can set your business apart from the rest while enriching the lives of the companion animals in your care. The cost of installing a complicated play structure causes some small business owners to forgo the idea altogether, but don’t let it deter you. It doesn’t have to be complicated and any money you spend on it is an investment that can help grow your business. Creating multiple levels, viewing platforms and varied surfaces will help engage your guests and make them more comfortable. Dogs love to climb up on something high and look down over their domains while cats need larger platforms in order to fully stretch and get comfy. Play structures are a great way to provide exercise, stimulation and socialization and keep your guests coming back time and time again.

These images illustrate simple, yet highly functional designs we put together for Olde Town Pet Resort – Dulles.

Vicki J. Pollard, AIA, CVT

Vicki brings unique experience to Animal Arts www.animalarts.biz with degrees in both architecture and veterinary technology. Prior to joining Animal Arts, Vicki worked as the Owner’s Representative during the construction of the VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital campus. She has worked on a variety of projects since joining Animal Arts including the Coral Springs Veterinary Hospital, VCA South Shore Animal Hospital, VCA Kaneohe Animal Hospital in Hawaii and VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital, a premier 42,000 square-foot specialty referral center.

“Animal Arts specializes exclusively in veterinary hospital and animal shelter design. We have a proven track record of success with over 600 projects in 40 states, Canada and overseas. Our designs have been presented with 35 architectural excellence awards from Veterinary Economics magazine. Visit our website at www.animalarts.biz”

Low Bidder: “It’s Unwise To Pay Too Much, But It’s Worse To Pay Too Little”-John Ruskin

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:49:02 -0700

“It’s Unwise To Pay Too Much, But It’s Worse To Pay Too Little”-John Ruskin (1819-1900)

I’m “sharing” this from the latest Pet Boarding & Daycare magazine, Volume 2 Edition 1. They have some of the best content for Groomers and Boarding Facility operators. This issue covers the best flooring for your pet care facility, dealing with increased competition and other various topics including this little nugget of wisdom by John Ruskin. It is such sound advice along with “Truth or Just Good Marketing” our blog from November 2011. Enjoy:

“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk that you run. And if you do that, you will have enough. There is hardly anything in the world that someone can’t make a little worse and sell a little cheaper – and people who consider price alone are this man’s lawful prey.”

Why 304 Stainless?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:31:16 -0700

Why 304 Stainless?

In today’s economy it’s important to be an educated consumer. With the American dollar taking a beating, manufacturers are looking for ways to maximize profits. At the same time you, the consumer are looking for ways to get the most for your money. It’s tempting for you to opt for a less expensive product, just be sure your manufacturer isn’t doing the same thing.

At TriStar and Direct, all of our stainless steel is purchased strictly from American Mills. Did you know there are only 3 major stainless mills in the US? As a manufacturer, you can bring in material from other countries, such as China or you can have parts built in other countries and bring them here for assembly. Manufacturing can be done a number of ways. We use domestic, 304 stainless in all of our stainless product line. We always know what we’re getting, it’s consistent and ISO certified and we believe you should never compromise quality to save a buck! “Type 304 stainless has a minimum of 18% chromium and 8% nickel.”* The chromium and the nickel content are what give 304 stainless its non-corrosive properties. It will resist rust, and stain “less” than other types of steel. It will hold up to all kinds of fruit acids, which is why it is used in food processing equipment and cookery tools. It will also hold up to urine and cleaning agents. “The chromium in the steel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a thin, invisible layer of chrome-containing oxide, called the passive film. The sizes of chromium atoms and their oxides are similar, so they pack neatly together on the surface of the metal, forming a stable layer only a few atoms thick. If the metal is cut or scratched and the passive film is disrupted, more oxide will quickly form and recover the exposed surface, protecting it from oxidative corrosion.”** It’s an absolutely perfect product for use in animal care facilities, where animals may be scratching at its surface and contaminating it with their saliva. It can be cleaned and it basically repairs itself, cutting down on the spread of disease. On top of being very sanitary and durable it is also extremely beautiful. For these reasons we’re proud to offer domestic 304 stainless steel to our customers!

References

* www.lenntech.com material notes Stain Steel 304

** Helmenstine, PH.D., Anne Marie. Why is stainless Steel Stainless? What It Is and How It Works. About.com.

Equipment Maintenance: Keep It Looking As Good As New, and Get Top Dollar When It’s Time To Replace It

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:57:47 -0700

Equipment Maintenance: Keep It Looking As Good As New, and Get Top Dollar When It’s Time To Replace It

November and December are notoriously busy months in the animal care industry. Whether you clip, bathe or board chances are you’ll be chasing your tail this time of year. While you are trying to find time to catch your breath, think how much wear and tear is being placed on your equipment.

Everything in your salon or boarding facility that has moving parts will likely need scheduled maintenance and the busier your place is the more frequent you should perform the maintenance; monthly, quarterly or annually. A good rule of thumb is to take stock of any equipment you use that has moving parts that may need to be oiled or rotated, etc. Equipment features vary from vendor to vendor so you can call the manufacturer (most have their contact info directly on the product) and ask if they have any tips for routine maintenance. It will help if you still have your invoice so you can give them the product numbers you purchased. My husband takes excellent care of everything we purchase. After each lawn mowing, he uses the air compressor to blow off the lawn mower blades and wipes off the dust and dirt from the surfaces and after any 4-wheeler excursion he takes the time to wash the dry the ATV. The goal is to keep everything looking as good as new, which is key to getting top dollar when it comes time to sell what you have in order to upgrade to a bigger/better model. Craig’s List is an excellent place to list anything you’re trying to sell; posting pictures of what you’re selling is key and will help you sell your items faster. I’m sure most of you have a closing routine that includes some type of cleaning schedule, but make sure it’s effective and your staff is really cleaning. It’s a great idea to assign who will clean what, specifically what products will be used and proper, effective cleaning techniques. If you’re cleaning anything stainless steel, it’s best to use a non-corrosive cleaner. I’ve heard of a product called TripleTwo which cleans, disinfects and deodorizes all in one application. January is a great time to do annual maintenance and remember “old houses mended cost less than new, before they’re ended” or something like that. Happy cleaning!

www.craigslist.com a great place to sell any of your items

www.htproducts.net to purchase TripleTwo a non-corrosive cleaner

www.samsclub.com to purchase Sprayway stainless steel cleaner

December Is The Time To Paws And Reflect

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:30:20 -0700

December Is The Time To Paws And Reflect

We have a lot in common with a lot of our Grooming and Boarding customers who run a small business. We are a small business. TriStar Vet and Direct Animal Products have 9 office staff and only 23 master craftsmen that work in our plant, building and designing all of our wonderful products. We love small businesses. They are the picture of efficiency. There are only a few, producing the work of many.

December is the busiest month for most of you in the grooming and boarding industry, but it’s crucial to look at your year and determine your profitability and set a plan for the first quarter, the slowest time of the year. The December issue of Groomer to Groomer has a great article entitled “Feast or Famine” http://groomertogroomer.com/articles/article7.html with some fabulous tips for groomers looking to book appointments on a more consistent basis. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it. While Today’s Veterinary Practice has an article “How Practices Can Thrive in an Online Environment” http://www.todaysveterinarypractice.com It’s written from a Veterinarian’s perspective, but the advice covers good website and social media tips that are crucial for small businesses, so do yourself a favor and check it out! At the end of the month you should take the time to question staff on what hurdles they encountered during the busy season and determine if you need to upgrade or purchase new equipment. If you decide to purchase new equipment, snap a picture and sing it’s praises on your Face Book or website. Customers see the value in what you do and will judge you by your equipment. It’s speaks to the level of care you provide as well as what type of premium you place on your business as a whole. Remember that new equipment is a tax write off and an investment in your company whether you purchase in December or January. If you decide to make new purchases, get to a tradeshow and look at equipment side by side. It’s hard to tell just by looking online and reading various marketing material. Read our blog entitled “Truth or Just Good Marketing” it will give you some tips on shopping for your equipment. Finally, it’s the end of the year and you know you couldn’t have done it without all of your employees and customers who are a huge part of what you do. Financially times are tough for small business and not many can afford bonuses this year, but telling your staff all year long what they mean to you and how much you appreciate their good attitude and willingness to do what needs to be done goes a long way. Here’s to 2012, it’s is going to be a banner year, I just feel it!

Holiday Pet Boarding- No More Last Minute Reservations

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:59:00 -0700

Holiday Pet Boarding- No More Last Minute Reservations

Tis the Season for holiday pet boarding. If your clients are anything like me they will call you the day before they leave to book their spot at the kennel. This year I had my Christmas boarding reservation booked before Thanksgiving.

The thought never occurred to me, however while I was shopping for my turkey, I got a call from the boarding facility, letting me know their space was filling up and if I needed holiday boarding she could go ahead and put me down. I was flattered that she remembered my name and my pet’s name and she was just so friendly I was happy to accept. The only thing that would have been better is if she had sent me an email confirmation so I could have marked it in my calendar quick and easy! There are other ways to drum up business well in advance of the peak boarding season. You could send an e-blast using “Constant Contact” an online marketing company serving small businesses. The company offers email, social media, online survey and event marketing tools to send and track responses. If you don’t already ask existing customers for their email addresses, you should definitely start compiling an advertising database starting with them! If your location is situated on a busy street, take advantage of that prime real estate and print a large banner promoting your holiday boarding. You’d be surprised how many people drive to and from work and don’t even remember the drive! I know I’m guilty of that, but if I see a sign that’s out of the ordinary it will attract my attention and if it’s for a service that I need, I will make a mental note. Finally, don’t be shy. Tell your existing customers to spread the word. Local businesses are built on customer referrals so make sure your customers receive a friendly welcome and are 100% satisfied when they leave.

How to Reduce Stress for Your Four Legged Clients

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:01:43 -0700

How to Reduce Stress for Your Four Legged Clients

Whether you groom, board or both, you hope to offer the best experience to your customers. A lot of times that means focusing on the owners of your customers and making sure to put your most professional foot forward from the time they drop off to the time they pick up their beloved baby. Let’s call that our “front of the house” experience, but what goes on in the back of the house?

Is it pure barking chaos? Are the cats balled up in a cage praying this nightmare comes to a close, soon? The stress they feel while in your care is very evident to their humans. It’s in the way they jump on them at pick-up as if to say “take me home” or by the way they are just not themselves, a bit traumatized. Some of the noise and hustle and bustle of being at the groomer or daycare is unavoidable, but a lot of it is, with the right equipment and segregation and a little personal attention just before going home. If you’re a groomer, lifting a dog into a bathing tub or grooming table can be stressful on your body and stressful for the animal as well. Finding a bathing tub with a ramp of some kind or a hydraulic tub can remove that stress for the both of you. If you’re a boarding/daycare operator, having glass enclosures as opposed to rod or grill, alleviates the caged-in separation anxiety that some animals experience and reduces the noise from other dogs barking as the glass works as a barrier. Some manufacturers even offer obscured or patterned glass fronts, which allows dogs and cats a little privacy along with the added benefit of the noise reduction from the glass. (When purchasing glass doors for your kennels, check the thickness, that will be a factor in noise reduction) Dog and Cat owners love to see kennels and cat condos with glass fronts, it gives them a sense of luxury boarding and they recognize that if you’ve put that kind of effort into your boarding area, you must be the type of facility that pays attention to the details. Let’s face it, when you have to leave one of your family members behind, you want to know reducing stress is a top priority for their caregiver(s). One final note on glass, some people feel that it looks so nice but it’s just too hard to clean. If you really think about it, with the use of a squeegee, you hose the kennel down, squeegee the door and you’re done. No polishing required. That covers the equipment, now for the segregation. One luxury pet resort owner I spoke to recently mentioned he segregates his floor plan so that canines and felines are checked in and out at different locations, and have separate boarding quarters as well. Depending on your lay out this may not be an option, but you could consider separate check-in times for canine and feline clients or allowing your alternate entrance to serve for pick-ups and drop offs. It may require you concentrate on keeping your back door area cleaner than you do now, but being able to tout that you want to reduce the stress on your felines by allowing them a separate entrance will earn you major points with their humans. Finally, consider a little TLC just before check out. It’s not always possible, and sometimes you’ll have 3 pick-ups at once, but when it’s feasible, spend a little time with the dog or cat, out of their cage, kennel or cat condo, stroking them, speaking to them in a loving, reassuring tone, basically calming their nerves before they’re set to leave. A little kindness goes a long way with animals and humans alike.

Why Glass Kennel Doors

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:03:34 -0700

Why Glass Kennel Doors

Not only is glass quieter and provides your facility with a more open look and feel, it is also easier to clean compared to other options on the market. If you have an animal that has urinated on the glass you can identify that and it can then be easily cleaned and disinfected, and you’ll know by simply looking at it. On the other hand, if you have a stainless steel rod door you can’t see that as easily and it is a lot more difficult and time consuming to clean.

By nature humans find the most efficient way to do things and would prefer cleaning a glass door, which takes 30 seconds as opposed to a rod door which takes a minute or two, and not everyone will take the time to successfully clean and disinfect the rod type door. Not only are glass doors easier to clean they are quieter. Glass doors are increasing in popularity as a result of veterinary hospitals and boarding facilities trying to get away from the caged, jail cell look by creating a more open feel and comfortable atmosphere for the animals. The Glass trend has caught on in animal shelter environments as well for the same stress reducing qualities, not to mention the spread of diseases is minimized. With the standard rod doors, humans touch from nose to nose while they feed and water and that can definitely spread germs and bacteria, quickly. TriStar Vet and Direct Animal Products offer glass doors with bowl feeders that allow shelter or boarding personnel to feed and water without opening the door. This eliminates the chance of an animal trying to rush the door and in an animal shelter environment can be an added safety measure against an aggressive animal. There are many positives glass provides for both employees and animals, so consider all of this when it comes time to build a new facility or remodel an existing one.

TriStar uses ¼” tempered clear glass which is a durable and holds up well in these type settings. There are some companies that use 3/16” which is a thinner glass but for the most part ¼” tempered clear glass is an industry standard. Others still use Lexan or plastic in their cat condos for instance, but we have always used the ¼” clear tempered glass simply for the fact that is a longer lasting and more durable product.

Truth or Just Good Marketing

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:22:44 -0700

Truth or Just Good Marketing

High quality products and craftsmanship, custom design services, have you heard these words before? Perhaps in numerous trade publication ads and websites in the animal care equipment industry? If all these claims are equally true, then how can you as the consumer, make a decision? I guess it all comes down to price. I mean if everyone offers top quality, innovative free design services then it’s safe to go with the cheapest manufacturer, right?

We have all heard the phrase, and likely experienced it as well, “you get what you pay for”. In other words, you only have yourself to blame when your cheap purchase breaks or fails to perform as promised. At the risk of losing a popularity contest, allow me to pull back the curtain and expose the “Wizard” (of Oz). The problem is the word “quality” is subjective and truthfully all manufacturers, the big guys anyway, have to work with you on your floor plan to understand what you need them to build for you, hence the “free design services”. The bottom line is quality, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, unlike quality materials, that’s an absolute. When you’re looking at several manufacturers, let’s say for stainless steel kennels. The heavier the gauge, the more durable the kennel, keeping in mind that the lower the number the heavier the gauge, i.e. 18gauge is heavier than 20 gauge. Or if you’re shopping for a stainless steel bathing tub for grooming, gauge is important again, but even more important is the construction of the tub. Is it fully welded or silicone and pop-riveted? Does it arrive fully assembled or do you have to assemble it? I will never forget being at a grooming tradeshow and hearing a first- hand account from a guy who was so angry that he got “my bathing tub”, assembled it and the first dog he groomed, a German Sheppard, got rowdy and the tub fell apart, sending water all over his new salon. Once he explained what happened, I had to explain to him that we don’t make a tub that arrives in a flat box and you silicone and pop rivet it together. He apologized and went on his way and apparently found the vendor who’d sold him the tub a few booths down and began the tirade all over again. With any large purchase, whether it’s a car, a piece of furniture or a new bathing tub it’s a good idea to have a list of questions to ask the manufacturer. These are great questions to ask when purchasing anything from a grooming table to a kennel run or stainless cages and bathing tubs:

1) How thick is the material, what is the gauge?

2) How is it constructed?

3) Does it ship fully assembled or is there assembly required? If assembly required do you have detailed assembly instructions?

4) What is the warranty period and what is covered in your warranty?

Another suggestion if you’re in the market to make a large purchase of kennels, cages, bathing tubs, etc. , find a tradeshow, even if you have to book a flight. Pictures can be deceiving and all advertisers put their best foot forward, but you can’t afford not to look at their products up close, first hand and quiz the representatives in the booth. Most times you can look at equipment and say “wow, this is what I want” or “whoa, glad I didn’t buy this one based off of the photograph.”

Remember, The Wizard of Oz marketed himself as a fearful, ominous, magical wizard, but it turned out he was just some guy using a lot of elaborate magic tricks and props to make himself seem great and powerful.

The Direct Difference

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:04:17 -0600

The Direct Difference

For more than 25 years, Direct Animal Products, a division of the TriStar Metal family has manufactured custom stainless steel equipment. We’ve continued to show our dedication to the animal care industry and animal health professionals as we have brought innovative animal care products to market.

As experts in the business, our commitment to providing the animal care industry durable, top quality, innovative products continues to be our top focus in 2011. Our quality control and field testing begins with our customers. At Direct, our customer service continues to be our top priority. Our staff is dedicated to solving your needs, whether you are looking to update your facility or building a new one, we want to be your stainless steel equipment partner. Direct Animal Products can help provide inspiration and solutions for any budget with products that are built to last.

Our products are proof that we continue to set new standards and develop new features with you in mind. From our designers to production staff we take pride in providing products of the highest quality. Almost everything we manufacture can be tailor-made to fit the dimensions for your existing or new facility. That's because Direct Animal Products customizes each order to our client's specifications, and our National Sanitation Foundation rating, ensures our clinical equipment meets the same sanitation requirements found in human hospitals. When you invest in a Direct Animal product, you are getting the highest quality available in the industry today.

Our customer inspired stainless steel equipment is the Direct difference. We look forward to serving you.

History of Direct

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:15:46 -0600

History of Direct

My dad Richard Batterton, Sr. founded TriStar Metals in 1986 in our family garage. He was a welder by trade, a true master craftsman and I was his student. He started out making custom stainless pieces for anybody who needed anything. Eventually our small family business started to grow and we moved our company to Boyd, a small farming community outside of Fort Worth, TX. We manufactured all kinds of stuff from architectural hand rails to stainless cabinetry for military hospitals and Airforce bases.

About ten years ago a local veterinarian walked into our office asking for a stainless steel wet/prep table. He had a wood laminate version that was falling apart and wanted something that would last, in a custom size and wasn’t able to find it on the market. He and I worked up a drawing and just a few weeks later he was thrilled with his custom creation. After his open house, the phones started to ring with other Vets who wanted customized pieces and now we are exclusively a manufacturer for the Animal Health Industry. We soon realized there was nothing else like our products available in the marketplace and TriStar Vet was born.

Although we’ve grown, we still pretty much do business the same way. Each day we have a production meeting to turn in new jobs and it’s amazing to watch the customers’ ideas go from inception to completion. We set up every job for final inspection before we ship it out to the customer and the salesperson responsible for the job goes over each detail meticulously to ensure it’s exactly as the customer wanted it. We set aside a special area in our plant specifically for inspections. It’s not cheap to do that final step, but we get calls from general contractors all the time who say “I can tell this stuff was set up already”. An added benefit is that we have to pull all the hardware and whatever else is needed so we rarely get those calls of “I’m missing this or that”.

In 2006 we started a division of the company that would cater to the growing grooming, boarding and animal sheltering industry. These customers have unique needs and requirements, so creating a new division to address them was a necessity. We believe we have a niche in this market and that is our ability to customize our existing products or help a customer create something new altogether. When building a new facility or updating an existing one, by using Direct Animal Products, you are going to be able to maximize your money and get truly custom equipment, something you are going to be happy with. We know it’s not just important to use quality materials, but quality construction is key to building equipment that will last. We call it “The Direct Difference”.