Second Home Pet Boarding: New kennel offers plenty of amenities, great space for pets

Pets staying at the new Second Home Pet Boarding may not appreciate the sweeping views of the beautiful hills around Dwayne and Cindy Klem’s home, but they will definitely enjoy a comfortable stay.

Or as comfortable as possible, according to Cindy.

“We know animals don’t like to be away from their homes,” she explained. “But that’s why we went through so much effort to make this as comfortable (and safe) for them as we have.”

The empty-nesters decided to open a new boarding operation due to their love for pets. Cindy loves cats while Dwayne is more of a dog person.

The couple has a pair of cats that have the run of the home overlooking St. Anthony but it’s been a few years since they have had any dogs around.

While the pain of the loss of their two dogs a couple of years ago still lingers, the missing happy-go-lucky companionship began to work on their hearts a short time ago but they decided to go a different route.

“We have always had a passion for animals — love every kind of animal — and since we already had an awesome place for a boarding business we just thought that we might as well go ahead and take the plunge and do it for real,” Cindy said.

With the large fenced-in area leftover from their previous pets, Cindy and Dwayne decided that rather than get more dogs, they would fill that need by opening up the kennel for other pet owners.

The fenced-in play yard sits adjacent to a workshop/garage the Dwayne used for his woodworking projects and mechanical aspirations from his race car driving days. With those days gone, the couple has transformed about a third of the garage into the new boarding operation.

Six custom fabricated kennels with plenty of space for any dog — about 4 by 6 foot — line an exterior wall to the garage. Each kennel has a pet door with access to a similarly sized kennel outside which can be opened to the quarter-acre fenced-in run. Privacy panels designed to keep pets out of view of their neighbors rise about halfway up each kennel. This keeps everyone happy and less likely for potential conflicts to arise between guests.

A swingout shelf for the food and water bowls ensures the animals won’t escape from each kennel very easily. This is a large concern for Cindy and Dwayne who have taken a lot of precautions to ensure each animal is safe.

In addition to the separate, secure kennels, pets won’t be in the play yard with any other unfamiliar animals. This just keeps the likelihood of conflict to a minimum as well, according to Cindy.

Additionally, Cindy and Dwayne are offering to board cats. “There are lots of options for dogs but hardly anything for cats,” Cindy said.

Recognizing that cats have different needs than dogs, the area set up for cats is specially designed for those need. In a separate room, four, tall enclosed rooms featuring climbing structures, a comfortable raised sleeping area and easy access to food and water have been custom made for felines.

“Cats don’t like change,” Cindy said. “That’s why we just wanted to provide as comfortable a space as possible for them.”

The couple’s goal is to provide a place away from home that is as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

“We made our boarding business small for that reason so that each animal will get the individual attention and care they need,” Cindy said. “People cherish their pets and we want them to know that when they leave their pets with us at Second Home Pet Boarding, we will truly strive to make it their pets home away from home.”

Second Home Pet Boarding is open now and can be reached by phone at 812-630-9027 or 812-630-3607. They have a website here and require all vaccinations to be up to date for any animals they accept. More information can be found at their website. The new business is located at 4098 S. St. Anthony Road North, St. Anthony — an online map search will take you directly to the new business.

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2 Comments

  1. This is so fantastic. Love that you thought about cats too. Love all of the safety precautions. Excellent!!!

  2. Thank you ! It will be a great success I can tell. I might go adopt again just to be able to go on vacation again and not worry!

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