After five months of construction and planning, Kuri Pet Resort officially opened its doors on March 19, welcoming cats and dogs of all different shapes and sizes.
Kuri Pet Resort offers many different services for cats and dogs. While its primary service is overnight boarding, it also offers a day camp and bathing services for dogs.
Robyn Leenaerts, founder and co-owner of Kuri Pet Resort, said location, community trust and employment were some of the biggest challenges in making the pet resort a reality. She previously worked with a pet business called Old Towne Pet Resort in Washington, D.C., where she discovered her passion for the field.
“It’s when you see the dogs start trying to get out of the car before the cars even stop to come in, when they’re so excited walking in the door because they know that they’re going to have a good time, that just makes your heart light up,” Leenaerts said.
Leenaerts chose San Marcos for the first Kuri Pet Resort location because she is originally from La Grange and has family nearby. The growing population of the region was a major factor in her decision to open her first location.
“The amount of growth potential that’s happening in this area … It’s a great place to open a business,” Leenaerts said.
Leenaerts also said the small-town community and Texas State population residing in San Marcos creates a great environment for community-based businesses like a pet resort.
“We’re literally taking care of folks’ extended children … We take a lot of responsibility for that care that we do and provide … We want to make sure [the dogs and cats] are safe and well-cared for,” Leenaerts said.
Leenaerts said she wants to ensure pet care starts with the employees. She said Kuri Pet Resort is very selective in deciding who is on its team to prioritize the care and safety of the animals. It considers hiring responsible, attentive and flexible individuals.
“You have kisses, licks and slobbers, it’s a messy job … By and large, you sometimes even have to love dogs more than humans to work here,” Leenaerts said.
Amber Park, Kuri Pet Resort employee and animal sciences junior, said the resort could provide employment opportunities to Texas State students, especially those who aim to pursue an animal science-related education like her. She said there was the challenge of having a low number of customers in the first two day of the pet resort’s opening. However, that gave her the opportunity to get to know her coworkers.
“It’s really your coworkers who can make or break your day,” Park said. “If you have amazing coworkers, it helps ease your day as well.”
Angel Velez, Kuri Pet Resort employee and wildlife biology alumna, said Kuri Pet Resort also had a special impact on recent Texas State graduates, as it was also her first pet-related job following her graduation. She said the employees and management at the resort make the challenge of working at a job easier.
“The employees that work here are really nice … And it’s rare to have a boss that really cares about you, that really sees you,” Velez said.
Leenaerts said after the initial opening in San Marcos, she hopes to certify all employees in safety and pet care and eventually open two more locations, such as somewhere in Schertz. She said all of the work that went into creating Kuri Pet Resort wouldn’t matter if the community doesn’t trust the resort with their “extended children.”
“Trust is a very important piece [of running a business],” Leenaerts said. “The pet parents that decide to place their pet in our care … That’s a lot of trust that happens. We don’t have that reputation yet, we don’t have those reviews yet … but I’m very confident that we will.”
For more information about Kuri Pet Resort, visit https://kuripets.com/.
