About Us
Meet the dog lovers behind the boarding and daycare
Anne Graves and Mike Lauria pooled their knowledge of dog health,Owners Mike Lauria & Anne Graves training and kennel management to bring two state-of-the-art boarding and daycare facilities to Portland. Their philosophy is to create a home away from home, a place where their canine guests feel safe, loved and mentally stimulated.
Put into practice, this mission translates into policies that go above and beyond industry best practices. For instance, the number of daycare guests each day is limited to fewer than Multnomah County licensing mandates. The result? A higher staff-to-furry guest ratio, more room to roam and calmer, happier dogs.
A Fresh Approach to Boarding & Daycare
Precisely because they know dogs so well, Anne and Mike bring fresh ideas to boarding and daycare. For example, no breed is banned from enrolling in daycare. Instead, they trust their unique screening process to filter out dogs who can’t play nice in a kennel-free setting.
Further, they trust their system of 24/7 staffing, where trained staff members have the tools to actively manage groups of dogs and keep arousal levels in check.
The Face of 3 Dogs: Anne Graves
Anne has been working with animals for over two decades in various capacities: Oregon Zoo intern, wildlife researcher in South Africa, vet tech at a local veterinary practice, and owner/manager of dog boarding and daycare facilities.
Since 3 Dogs opened in 2008, Anne has been the face of 3 Dogs Boarding & Daycare. The facility’s furry guests and their human pack-mates have become her extended family over time. Seriously, Anne can rattle off her regulars’ names, quirky habits and favorite games on demand. Also, she’s one to tip off her two-legged customers when a special package discount is coming up. More importantly, her background in veterinary health translates into essential safeguards for daycare guests and boarders alike.
Designed from the Ground up: 3 Dogs
Long-time Dog Trainer & Kennel Manager: Mike Lauria
Mike has also worked with animals for over two decades in various capacities: dog training, kennel and daycare management, and rescue dog rehabilitation. In fact, he managed one of the earliest dog daycare facilities, Pet Companions Inc, in Boston, MA.
Noteworthy is Mike’s professional experience bringing aggressive dogs back from the edge. This in-depth expertise in canine behavior – discerning simple exuberance from dangerously hight arousal – informs how staff are taught to manage four-legged guests. Staff are trained to read dogs’ body language and be proactive. They referee play so that it doesn’t tip into over-stimulation, such as mounting, incessant barking, bullying and ganging up. Any one of these behaviors can lead to dog-to-dog aggression. As preventatives, staff learn to use body blocking, redirection, brief timeouts, etc. to lower stimulus and keep all furry guests safe.
Evolving Under New Ownership: Stay Pet
Anne and Mike assumed ownership of Stay Pet Hotel from founder Kim Hornsby in May of 2016. At the time, Stay Pet was strictly a boarding facility, offering private suites yet no kennel-free boarding or daycare.
Stay Pet Hotel has evolved under their ownership to include all of the services and amenities that 3 Dogs has:
- Kennel-free boarding
- Daycare 7 days per week
- 24/7 onsite staff supervision
- Complimentary medication dosing and special diet feeding
- Large, fenced outdoor playground
- Plenty of natural light indoors
- Cozy places to sit or curl up and nap
Stay Pet still offers private suites for boarders who are more comfortable sleeping on their own at night. Like 3 Dogs Boarding & Daycare, all Stay Pet Hotel boarders enjoy full access to daycare all day, everyday, 365 days per year.
