WILMINGTON — For now, Danielle Buda is running a doggy day care business out of her home on a case by case basis.
Her plan is to move it to 123 West Main St., the former home of 1a Coffee Roasters. The project is currently being considered by the Wilmington Development Review Board.
“People have been so desperate to have dog care during the last couple of weeks with the holidays,” Buda said in an interview after the final board hearing. “I was like, You know what? If they’re OK with leaving their dog in my home with me then I’ll do it.”
Buda has to check to see if the client’s dog’s temperament matches with hers.
“It’s been pretty cool so far,” she said.
The board has 45 days from Jan. 5 to issue a decision on the project. Buda thought she would have been open in the West Main Street building by now but the permitting process is taking a little longer than anticipated. A second hearing was needed to review the plans.
“By government standards,” Buda said, “I’m considered a kennel. But my business model is so different than a typical kennel.”
Initially, Buda looked at purchasing an existing kennel in Vermont. She said the parties couldn’t agree on the numbers.
“I think everything happens for a reason,” she said.
She didn’t approve of the way the animals were handled in the facility, she said, so she decided to create her own “and give people a different level of care for their animals than they would get with just a regular kennel.”
Previously, Buda was living in Hunterdon County in New Jersey. She moved to Wilmington, she said, because she loves the area and snowboarding. She currently works as a part-time snowboard instructor at Mount Snow in West Dover.
The name of her business is Tails on Trails Pet Resort, which she said “really resonates with the town and the ski area and Vermont and just everything and green mountains.”
Buda said she has “everything ready to go” for the West Main Street operation, including building and sound proofing materials.
“I think once I’m in there, I’ll maybe move a few things around to see where I can fit stuff because I don’t want to over clutter it,” she said.
Her plan is to have 15 “pup cabins” or rooms for dogs on the main floor. Some clients may have multiple dogs that can be lodged together.
An indoor doggy day care area will be run upstairs. A retail area on the main floor will offer pet food and products “because there’s nothing really else that’s very close that people can get last minute if they need something specific,” Buda said.
“I want to cater to also more of the healthier foods and snacks for the dogs,” she said.
Buda said she’s going to offer enrichment activities and packages for the dogs — including extra bedding, activities or one-on-one time — and a doggy concierge service that she compares to Uber for dogs. Clients will get photos and video updates of their dogs as well as “doggy report cards.”
The hope is to create several jobs. Buda said she has heard the service is “really needed.”
“I’m hoping the town sees the value in it,” she said, “because it really is a needed service.”
Information on bookings can be found at tailsontrailsvt.com and through the Gingr app.
