Your four-legged friends are in good hands

All Play Pet Care and Adventures satisfies a niche market in Nelson

There is a community atmosphere at All Play, seen in both the canine clients and their humans. —

Sarah Kemp photo

Sarah Kemp started All Play Pet Care and Adventures in 2002 as a dog-walking business, but she dreamed of someday expanding. She wanted to provide a place where people could bring their dogs for personalized care, non-kennel boarding and socialization experiences with other dogs.

With fantastic support from the community, Kemp's idea was realized and her doggy daycare was opened in downtown Nelson, B.C., in 2005.

“At All Play we offer a fun play space for dogs of all sizes to socialize in a safe and controlled environment,” said Kemp. “Families with new puppies find the daycare to be a great place for their dog to spend the day while no one is at home and for general socialization. I also offer a very personalized, non-kennel boarding service that I call the Doggy B&B.”

A convenient option

The clients who bring their dogs to All Play find the boarding service to be quite useful. When they are working or going somewhere that they can't bring their pet (especially relevant since Nelson has a bylaw forbidding dogs in the city's downtown), dog owners are able to count on All Play to take good care of their companion.

“Last year the dog-walking business was sold to Marie-Josee Bourgeois, of Dog Gone Walkin',” said Kemp. “Since then I have been able to put more focus on the daycare and its growing clientele—and more time towards the Doggy B&B. Running a business in Nelson seems to just keep getting better and better. As my network in the community grows I feel the ongoing support follows.”

All Play accommodates clients who want one-hour drop-ins, a half-day or a full day of boarding time—and there is no need to book an appointment. The fall/winter hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Often we see dogs come in that are very timid and unsocialzed,” said Kemp. “It does take time for some dogs to get used to a busy play environment, so it is great to see a dog overcome some anti-social behaviour and start playing with his/her new friends.” 

All Play Pet Care and Adventures can be found at 308 Herridge Lane, Nelson, B.C. Visit them online at www.allplay.ca or call 250-352-2021 for more information.