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Red Barn Pet Resort shares pandemic related challenges

January 6, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

The Red Ban Pet Resort in Hockley Valley is doing well now. The Citizen had the chance to talk to owners, Jay Phillips and Delia Teixeier to learn how well they have come through the last couple of years with Covid-19.

“Once July [2021] hit and flights were opening up, things were better,” Mr. Phillips told us, “It was a huge struggle since March 2020; Christmas was difficult – the stuff that you were taking care of. We had so many amazing regulars,” he added. “A lot of business [that used to] be overnight became more of a day care. That kind of got us through. People from the health care industry brought their dogs just for the day until they could travel again.”

Like the Covid opening and closing of all our lives, the couple were never sure how things would go. It looked as though people were going to travel over Christmas but there was so much anxiety about the costs of testing at each port of entry.

“We thought we’d get cancellations,” Ms. Teixeier remarked, “but people decided to go anyway and see how it went. Most would have to pay [for tests] to go and to come but people just wanted to get away so much that the cost was not important. 

“If you lower your expectations, things were okay. And on social media, they could see their dogs every day.”

Ms. Teixeier and Mr. Phillips bought this beautiful property on the Mono-Adjala Townline late in 2016, with the dream of creating a dog resort. They had each seen their own dogs come home from kennels, where they had been boarded while the couple were on holiday. They were not generally happy with how their dogs looked afterward. In addition, they had each worked for Pet Smart for over twenty years, where dogs and cats can be boarded but those animals never go outside. With this fabulous property, they wanted to do better.

After two and a half years of building five small red barns, each with two rooms, heating, fencing – plans in place, they were ready to host their opening on June 9, 2019. A new business with new ideas was a challenge; keeping their neighbours re-assured, who were worried about noisy dogs and other problems, was on their minds. There was some success over that seven months, into 2020 – then, Covid shut everything down.

Immediately part of their survival is they did not to have huge overheads, as their business is run on their own land, eliminating those overheard costs on the business.

“Then,” as Mr. Phillips told us, “we’re open to taking in day care which was never part of our plan. Our customers were great and word of mouth has been great.”

“We’ve been creating more paths [through their 20 acres of woodland]; just trying to make things a little different,” said Mr. Phillips, “upgrade the hotel.”

His partner added, “It really became a family business. My kids were coming from Toronto, helping with the dogs.”

One of the fun things for them, with clients bringing their pets for day care, “We get to see them grow up. Some of them were eight weeks old when they first came here and we see them now, a year old. It’s not just the pets, it’s the owners; we’ve become friends.” 

It is great for them to see so many new customers. Mr. Phillips had been working in construction when the business was new but he has not had to work in construction because they are so busy. In fact, his boss is one of their clients. 

“I had a vision of what I thought this business would be and what I want out of it,” Ms. Teixeier considered. “It’s so much more. Figuring what dog can play with another dog; getting to know the owners so well. This is so much more than what I thought.” 

As long as the way is mostly clear, the resort owners are planning to take a break in Barbados in April, for a week and will close the resort down while they are away.

For them, the highlight of this past couple of years is “the fact that we started this just the two of us and now it’s a family business,” Ms. Teixeier reflected. “My sister calls and says, ‘I’m coming to help’ and my kids call and come to help.”

When Ms. Teixeier had recent surgery on her shoulder, Mr. Phillips’ had his best friend come from London, Ont. for a couple of days to help with everything. Others have pitched in as well.  

“Even our neighbours come to take the dogs for walks with us,” he said.

Walking this week with a young member of a neighbouring family, Ms. Teixeier suggested after their walk that he would likely be glad to “go back to bed.”

“No,” he told her. “This walk has energized me!”

She said, “I sometimes think they’re doing it for us but I think now they’re doing it for themselves.”

They have been careful about taking care that their neighbours are not disturbed.

“We never intended to throw their lives off-kilter,” Mr. Phillips promised, “For a dog to bark for hours, that’s not a happy dog. I think we’ve done a pretty decent job of keeping the dogs happy. People tell us how different this place is.” 

There are stories, of course: “This one dog came to us still a puppy just under one year. He was a Covid dog, that means with no socialization, he had never seen other dogs or people. When the owners were here, he was fine but we put him in his room and he did not want to come out of his room; he was so unhappy. It took us a long time to coax him, 15 minutes and finally, he came out – it was so special to see how he changed in an overnight; it was amazing to see how he settled in.

“When we see that they come around and they love us from being so shy that’s what’s wonderful.”

One couple of their dog owners are a nurse and a paramedic: “They’ve been spending so much time keeping us safe – so we have had their dog for day care, for so long.”

“Covid has shown me how important it is to have family – people you rely on and they can rely on you,” said Delia Teixeier. “I love our life.”

For more information, the website is www.rbpetresort.ca

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