Camp Bow Wow, Charlotte

Twelve years ago, Heidi Ganahl decided to pursue her dream and opened the first Camp Bow Wow in Denver. Camp Bow Wow has now burgeoned into a national franchise with more than 200 locations in 40 states, and her success has earned attention from the likes of CNN Money, CNBC, and various other news outlets.

One of the secrets to Heidi’s success? Her love of dogs. Born from a desire to provide a safe, healthy place where owners could drop their pets instead of cooping them up at home, each Camp Bow Wow location functions more like an all-inclusive kids’ summer camp than a depressing kennel. Pooches are free to frolic with each other in outdoor and indoor play areas and spend their afternoons making fun of the postman’s latest haircut, all while their owners watch them on Camper Cam video streams. For overnight visitors, temperature-controlled cabins host beds with fleece blankets, and the camp counsellors give each canine camper a campfire treat before putting them to bed. Dogs and owners feel at ease knowing that certified camp counsellors, trained in dog behaviour and pet first aid, are close at hand.