Camp Bow Wow

Preparing for a vacation or business trip requires much planning. Along with considering what to bring with you, you must think about what to leave behind. The house, and particularly its four-legged inhabitants, must be considered. A dog’s needs aren’t put on hold when its humans leave town. That’s where Camp Bow Wow comes in. 

While this Camp opened in March of last year and is locally owned, the Camp Bow Wow brand has over 200 locations nationwide with over twenty years of knowledge and experience. The Camp also serves as a day camp and a grooming center led by a full-time, professionally-trained groomer. No matter what service your dog is in for, Camp Bow Wow provides a safe environment with plenty of play and socialization with people and other canines. 

In 2019, franchise owner Leah Lile and her husband had to travel quite a bit. At times, they would have to board their dogs at the vet or ask friends and family to help take care of them while they were away. That’s when the couple had the idea to bring a premier dog daycare, boarding, and grooming facility to the area. “One that we wanted to take our dogs to for the day, weekend, or extended stay,” Leah says.

It’s hard to remember a time in their lives when dogs weren’t involved, Leah says. Dogs play an important role in life for many people. “Our dogs are treated as members of our family, and that is our approach to the care of each and every dog during its stay at Camp.”

Safety is the camp’s top priority. For every new dog or “camper” as they’re called, a free first day is offered, including a socialization interview process that the pet owner watches live. “This interview is unique to Camp Bow Wow and helps ensure that camp is a good fit for your pup,” Leah says, “while also keeping our current campers’ safety in mind.”

Once it’s established that Camp is a good fit, your furry companion is immersed into the canine camp life. Camp Bow Wow’s camera system provides the utmost transparency between camp and pet parents. Owners can watch their dogs play throughout the day while the play yards are open. The camper cams are available via the business’s website or app.

In addition, Camp Bow Wow offers pet parents a texting number for easy communication. At the end of the stay, pet parents receive a meal card report that provides detailed information about meal consumption. 

A day in the life at Camp Bow Wow is pretty packed for a pup. Campers can expect an early morning potty break followed by breakfast. After breakfast, they rest to prepare for a day of play. Play yards are typically open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., which encourages all day play for pups. Rest breaks and lunch are available as long as the space can be accommodated.

During a dog’s stay or day visit, Camp Bow Wow offers either one-on-one enrichment or small group enrichment sessions. These sessions are themed and are different every day. After a day in the play yards, campers are ready for dinner and rest. 

Benefits of Camp Bow Wow include regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight; relief from boredom, separation anxiety, and destructive behaviors; improved socialization with people and other dogs; and increased overall happiness. 

Pricing varies from service to service with different price packages. Whether your dog is there for the day or overnight, they will play all day with other dogs and enjoy plenty of love from camp counselors. Camp includes all-day play in indoor and outdoor play yards; individual cozy cabin and nightly treat for overnight campers; no charge for medication administration and other special requests; and lots of individual attention and TLC from camp counselors.

For overnight pups, luxury suites are offered, which include 24/7 camper cam access. They are $20 more than standard cabins ($65 versus $45). Prices for standard and luxury cabins increase for more than one dog; however, the price per individual dog is discounted per night. Every boarding stay is an all-inclusive price and the Camp does not have any add-on fees for administering medication, early drop off, or late pick-ups. 

Grooming services abound and are not limited to pups that are coming for day camp and/or boarding stays. In addition to the standard bath, services include anal gland expression; de-shed treatment; Ultimutt, which includes oatmeal shampoo and conditioner, blow dry, nail trim/grind, ear cleaning, and teeth cleaning; dematting; and “pawdicure,” which is a nail trim plus a nail grind. If your pup is in need of a haircut, your groomer at Camp can handle that as well. 

The business gives back to the community through its Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping sick and injured dogs by funding urgent medical care and aiding with veterinary bills for serious conditions. The foundation is dedicated to providing medical care funds to individuals struggling to cover their pets’ veterinary bills for serious ailments. It also provides funding to shelters and rescue organizations that need assistance to cover necessary medical treatments for dogs awaiting adoption. 

More information can be found, and reservations can be made to the Benton-Bryant Camp Bow Wow online at campbowwow.com/benton-bryant. The local Camp is located at 3600 Boone Road in Benton.