For the love of dogs

Men’s Health magazine, in recently hailing Colorado Springs as the most dog-friendly city in the country, said the Springs was No. 1 in the number of canine boarding and day care facilities per capita.

Tom Mitchell thinks there’s room for at least one more such facility: his Preppy Pet Suites, which he and wife Ela recently opened on the east side of Colorado Springs.

The couple, faced with losing their jobs at Intel’s semiconductor plant when it ends production in August, had been seeking business opportunities locally. Tom left Intel to launch Preppy Pet Suites; Ela hopes to remain at the plant until the end.

With a baby on the way — Ela is due in August — they wanted to stay put if possible, Tom said.

“We’re not going to chase the job to Arizona, where it’s too hot, Oregon, where it’s too wet, California, where it’s too expensive,” he said.

They entertained various ideas before settling on Preppy Pet Suites, a pet boarding and day care franchise that bills itself as “America’s premier boarding facility.” The Springs location is the 12th franchise for the Florida-based company — and the first in Colorado.

“I’ve always wanted to open up my own business,” Ela Mitchell said. “Tom has, also.”

One advantage of owning a franchise rather than starting a business from scratch is mentorship, Tom Mitchell said. “I’ve got other franchisees to call and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a problem, how do I deal with it?’” he said.

The Mitchells are leasing a roughly 5,000-square-foot space east of Powers Boulevard, at Paonia Street and Omaha Boulevard. Location was key in choosing the site, Tom Mitchell said, with the area lacking such a facility.

“Had I moved over there by Nevada and I-25, yeah, I’d be concerned. They’re all concentrated over there.”

Preppy Pet Suites embraces a trend toward more upscale dog facilities. Owners can keep an eye on their pooches through Web cams, a feature Mitchell first encountered when he boarded his dogs at Camp Bow Wow in the Springs.

“That’s what turned me on to the concept,” he said. “It’s a selling point for customers.”

Dog-suite sizes range from “small mini” to “super.” Dogs that get along can play together inside and out during the day. Those that are more antisocial stay in a separate area but still get plenty of attention and outside potty breaks, along with a TV to watch.

For Mitchell, Preppy Pet Suites is not just a business; it’s a way to be with his beloved Labrador retrievers, George and Fido. “They’re just great, and I wanted to spend every day with them if I could,” he said.