As pet owners who have tried to board their animals know, it can be difficult to find a satisfactory kennel in the Guadalajara area. That is why a couple who used to live in the United States decided to start their own.
“After we moved here we couldn’t find anything like what there was in California,” said Juan Carlos Ochoa, who with his wife Adriana Miranda Valtierra is a canine enthusiast.
“The best option was a veterinarian, but that wasn’t ideal — for the same reason you wouldn’t want to spend your vacation in a hospital.”
So Ochoa and his wife decided decided to create the type of kennel they were looking for — a place where dogs could have a “vacation” rather than be confined in a tiny cage — on a bucolic piece of property near the Primavera Forest to the west of Guadalajara.
They named it Goldens and Labs Hotel Canino because Golden and Labrador Retrievers are among the breeds they own and show. (Ochoa hastens to mention that he and his wife also rescue and own mixed-breed dogs, which he wryly calls “perros unicos” — “unique” dogs.)
On a recent weekday, the couple and their 10 employees were caring for 15 guest dogs — no cats at that moment, although the hotel has special indoor and outdoor facilities for kitties. Some dogs could be seen romping with similar-size canine playmates in a grassy, tree-lined playscape or resting in individual quarters.
“It’s a beautiful place and we work here with gusto,” Ochoa said. “Guest dogs are only confined when they are eating and sleeping. We care for them 24 hours a day. We watch them to make sure that they’re eating, that they’re happy. It’s not that easy. In fact, it’s difficult. But we enjoy it.” Ochoa said that besides grouping dogs by size during play time, they separate dogs in heat, toy dogs and unsociable dogs from incompatible dogs.
He added that normal boarding costs $180 pesos a day. “Emergency boarding costs more, just like at a hotel if you don’t have a reservation. We also have a VIP service, where we keep the animals inside the house with us, as if we were their owners. That costs $350 pesos a day.
“Our clients are good people,” he reflected. “They care about their pets. In fact, we upload photos of the animals on our Facebook page so that owners who are out of town can see how their pets are doing.”
Goldens and Labs Hotel Canino is near the Estadio Omnilife and Nextipac. Tel. (33)3628-7970. Facebook: Goldensandlabs Hotel Canino Criadero.