Merlin's Full-Service Pet Care, Tallahassee

Merlin's Full-Service Pet Care was named after owner Jessica Odell's bull terrier Merlin, whose ability to turn cats into turtles keeps visiting dogs in high spirits. Jessica and her tight-knit staff, including her mother and boyfriend, groom dogs of all sizes and provide pet-sitting and dog-boarding services. Jessica visits homes for pre-pet-sitting consultations, so animals have a chance to acclimate themselves to their substitute caretaker. At the onsite boarding facilities, dogs romp through double-fenced, tree-studded fields and enjoy climate-controlled individual boarding rooms, where they can eat their owners' homework without distraction.