Our Story

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Long before Four Paws existed, I was simply a pet parent trying to find a safe place for my own dogs while I went on vacation.

 

Two of my dogs could not safely be together. They had always been kept separately, and the boarding facility I chose knew that. I trusted that when I was told they would be boarded separately, that was exactly what would happen.

 

In the middle of my vacation, I received a phone call telling me one of my dogs needed veterinary care.

 

I was confused and immediately worried. At first, I assumed perhaps one of them had managed to get bitten through a kennel gate.

 

That wasn't what happened.

 

I learned that the facility had overbooked and had made the decision to put my dogs together despite knowing they needed to remain separated. Had nothing happened, I likely never would have known. I would have returned from vacation, paid for two separate spaces, and believed my dogs had been cared for exactly as I had been promised.

 

But something did happen. My dogs fought, one was injured, and the truth came out.

 

I was furious.

 

But more than anything, that experience changed the way I looked at animal boarding.

 

When someone leaves their dog in another person's care, they are placing an incredible amount of trust in that person. They shouldn't have to wonder whether what they are being told is actually happening after they drive away.

 

I wanted to create something different.

 

I wanted a place built around honesty, transparency, safety and doing exactly what we tell pet parents we are going to do.

 

That idea eventually became Four Paws.

 

From Rescue to Boarding

 

At the time, animals were already a huge part of my life. For several years I had been heavily involved in animal rescue through our nonprofit, including helping animals in need and offering programs such as spay and neuter clinics.

 

I loved caring for animals, but rescue began taking an emotional toll on me.

 

There was always another heartbreaking story. Another abandoned animal. Another case of neglect. Another animal needing help.

 

Eventually, I realized that while I still deeply loved caring for animals, my heart could no longer handle the constant sadness that came with rescue.

 

As Four Paws began to grow, I discovered something I hadn't expected.

 

I was still getting to do what I loved most.

 

I got to care for dogs. I got to learn their personalities, earn their trust, play with them, spoil them and build relationships with them.

 

But now, most of the stories were happy ones.

 

These dogs weren't waiting for someone to choose them.

 

They already had families who loved them.

 

They were simply spending a little time with me before going home again.

 

And I loved it.

 

That was when I knew I had found what I was supposed to be doing.

 

Then Came the Cabins

 

The idea behind our cabins actually began with rescue.

 

After years of working with rescue dogs, we saw firsthand what traditional kennel environments could do to some animals. Dogs could become overwhelmed by the constant noise and activity. Some would shut down or experience significant kennel stress.

 

We had dreamed about creating individual cabin style spaces where rescue dogs could experience something closer to a home environment while waiting for their permanent homes.

 

We had already begun developing that idea when we realized something:

 

Why shouldn't boarding dogs have the same thing?

 

After operating two more traditional boarding facilities in town, we began incorporating the cabin concept into Four Paws.

 

The difference was remarkable.

 

Dogs were more relaxed. They had their own space. There was less exposure between unrelated dogs, fewer opportunities for conflict and less potential for cross contamination.

 

Instead of rows of dogs surrounded by other dogs on every side, each camper could have a space of their own.

 

A little home away from home.

 

That experience ultimately helped shape what Four Paws Camp is today.

 

A Different Kind of Boarding

 

Our private cabins aren't a gimmick or something created because it sounded good in an advertisement.

 

They are the result of years of experience.

 

They came from being a pet parent whose trust was broken.

 

They came from years spent caring for rescue dogs and learning how profoundly environment can affect an animal.

 

And they came from watching dogs thrive when we gave them privacy, space, consistency and individual attention.

 

Those experiences shaped one of the most important principles behind Four Paws:

 

We care for your dog the way we tell you we will.

 

Four Paws has grown almost entirely through word of mouth. We didn't build our reputation through big advertising campaigns. Our clients built it for us by telling their friends, families and neighbors about their experiences.

 

Today, more than 180 positive reviews tell that story better than we ever could.

 

Some clients tell us they simply won't board anywhere else. Some have told us they would rather change or cancel a trip if we aren't available. We even have longtime clients who moved away from Casper and still make the trip back when they need boarding.

 

There is no greater compliment.

 

Because at the end of the day, Four Paws isn't about how many dogs we can fit into a building.

 

It is about how well we can care for the dogs entrusted to us.

 

Every camper has a family waiting for them to come home.

 

We never forget that.