Midland Park, Nj - 5 May, 2006 -

Camp Bow Wow, a Denver-based day camp and sleepaway camp for dogs, has gained a pawhold in North Jersey. The area's first Camp Bow Wow franchise, at 95 Greenwood Ave. in Midland Park, held its grand opening this month after having its quiet, or soft, opening in January. Camp Bow Wow is the latest entry in North Jersey's upscale kennel category, and it has adopted some of the features found at day care centers for children. Prospective canine campers first must be "interviewed" for three hours to see if they separate well from their "parents," respect their camp counselors and play nicely with the other pooches. And as in kiddie day care, biting is a big "no-no." Dogs can spend a day for $26, or stay overnight for $36. The camp is outfitted with Webcams, and a pet's parents can check in on their Chihuahua or Corgi via the Internet. The Camp Bow Wow concept is the brainchild of Heidi Flammang, who wanted to create a place "where I could leave my dogs and not feel guilty." She also wanted to devise a business plan that would give franchisees an affordable model for opening and operating a kennel. "We use existing light industrial commercial space and create this really cool camp environment. The dogs love it, the clients love it, and the franchisees can make a decent living out of it," Flammang said. There are 25 Camp Bow Wow franchises open around the country, and rights to more than 100 additional franchises have been sold. The average franchise fee is $50,000, and owners are told to expect start-up costs of $300,000 to $500,000. Flammang said the company hopes to go public in two to three years. Michael Monks, 36, the owner of the Midland Park Camp Bow Wow, said he became a fan of doggie day care after using a facility in Monmouth County for his dog, Keller. A former software engineer and longtime dog lover, Monks worked at an animal shelter and at a Camp Bow Wow in Bridgewater before deciding to purchase his own franchise. Monks said he was attracted to the Camp Bow Wow franchise program "because I didn't want to go into this alone." He said the company helped design the layout of his facility and taught him how to operate it. When Monks traveled to Colorado as part of a "discovery days" program for future franchisees, Flammang personally gave him a tour of Camp Bow Wow centers near Denver. "She's a super dynamite person," he said. Monks said he had customers waiting for Camp Bow Wow when he opened. The February school break was a particularly busy time, with more than half of the overnight kennels, or "cabins," occupied. The facility has 40 cabins, along with separate indoor and outdoor play areas for small, medium and large dogs. Monks said he's had to turn away some dogs who failed their interview for being too aggressive or antisocial. How do owners take the news that their dogs are doggie day care rejects? "I've seen the whole spectrum," Monks said. "Some people say, 'Oh, I never thought he had a shot anyway.' And other people walk away disappointed and shocked."

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