Camp Bow Wow, Monroeville

In 2000, Heidi Ganahl decided to pursue her dream and opened the first Camp Bow Wow in Denver. Camp Bow Wow has now grown 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 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 summer camp than a depressing kennel. Pooches are free to frolic with one another in outdoor and indoor play areas and spend their afternoons making fun of the mail carrier’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 counselors give each canine camper a campfire treat before putting them to bed. Dogs and owners feel at ease knowing that certified camp counselors, trained in dog behavior and pet first aid, are close at hand.

Along with caring for visiting dogs, many Camp Bow Wow locations function as foster homes for local rescue organizations.