By Kelsie Radziski
Dan’s Pet Care, a new cage-free boarding facility that just opened its doors to the Glen Cove community, celebrated Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Unlike most boarding facilities, at Dan’s, dogs are kept in large indoor playfields based on their size, age, and temperament. And all dogs must pass a comprehensive behavior test to board to ensure the safety of the animals as well as the staff, explained Dan Reitman, founder and CEO.
“When they board with us, they can enjoy the freedom of the playfield all day,” he said, “and at night, we give them a wide range of beds they can choose from.”
Dogs also enjoy grooming treatments and supervised playtime in the facility’s outdoor play area. Dan’s team members stay with the dogs at all times to prioritize their care.
“We find that it serves to greatly reduce boarding anxiety for most dogs,” Reitman says, “and they get a lot of extra TLC from our team members.”
Along with their cage-free boarding, Dan’s also offers daycare services and training programs led by experienced team members.
“My program is based on positive reinforcement,” explains Stephanie Weinberg, manager and lead trainer. “We start with human behavior first, primarily teach how to act from an animal’s perspective first, and work on the relationship from the beginning building trust, understanding, and building confidence not just for dog but also to the owner. .”
Reitman started his company in 2009 and it grew slowly but then the coronavirus pandemic halted his progress. Since then, he has rebuilt the company and continued to expand it.
The company currently has more than 3,500 clients, a growing team of more than 80 staff members, and a service location in Manhattan. They offer dog walking services, indoor training programs, and other options for pet owners.
This is Reitman’s first storefront on Long Island.
Nick and Kathy Carras are long time customers of Dan’s. The staff walks their golden retriever, Grace, twice a day to make sure she’s comfortable when her owners aren’t home.
“They helped raise Grace,” Kathy said. “He was a puppy when we got him, and they were at our house four to six hours a day while we were at work.”
“They are our lifeline,” added Nick.
Customers, friends and neighbors came together to celebrate the opening of the facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
“I honestly can’t believe it’s finally here,” said Alex Reitman, Dan’s husband. “It feels like such a weight has been lifted, and I’m excited to see it happen.”
Reitman plans to push into New Jersey and Connecticut and eventually open facilities nationwide. He and his team are passionate about changing the dog boarding industry from within and setting new industry standards.
“Safety is our number one priority, always has been and always will be,” Reitman said. “I put my name on this business because I stand by what we do, and that is to provide peace of mind to pet parents. I love what I do and I love that I get to share that with our incredible team and the amazing pet parents we work with every day.
