By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–Pet owners in Helena needing an all-inclusive pet service for their dogs or cats will soon have a new place close to home as Helena Dog House is set to open in the coming days.

Helena Dog House specializes in pet boarding, grooming, daycare and training and will officially open for business on Thursday, March 22, at 97 Ace Place in Helena.

Owner Nicole Barnes has spent the last several months preparing for the grand opening after realizing the need for a pet service business in Helena.

“There’s nowhere in Helena that does boarding, grooming and daycare all together without driving outside of the city,” Barnes said. “I just felt like there was a need for it with all the families that live in the area.”

Barnes has lived in the area since 2010 and after teaching for nine years and working in construction, she decided to turn her passion for animals into a business.

Barnes decided to partner with Emily Wood of Emily’s Furtastic Dog Grooming out of Maylene to be a one-stop shop for pet owners.

Helena Dog House will offer several different options for pet boarding based on space.

The 5-by-8-foot houses will cost $40 per night with a three dog capacity, the 4-by-6-foot townhouses will cost $30 per night with a two dog capacity and the 3-by-3-foot apartments will cost $20 per night with a one dog capacity.

Customers who choose to board more than one pet will receive a 15 percent multi-dog discount.

When it comes to pet daycare, Barnes said the business will offer both an indoor and outdoor play area.

“Our setup includes a 6,000-square-foot space for outdoor play and about a 1,700-square-foot indoor play area,” Barnes said.

Full-day and half-day rates will be available for pet daycare. A full-day will cost $20 per day while a half-day will run $15. A 15 percent discount will also be applied for multiple dogs.

Barnes said the business has a total of 54 rooms but many rooms have the ability to house multiple dogs or cats bringing the total capacity to 98 dogs.

For pet daycare, dogs will be grouped together based on size and temperament and the only dogs that will be boarded together will be dogs that came in together.

Barnes said the details for pet training and obedience classes are still being worked out but she hopes to offer the classes to pet owners in mid to late April.

The hours of operation will be Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 4-6 p.m. for pick-up only.

Barnes said she chose to be open on Sundays to allow families coming back from vacation to utilize the two-hour pick-up window to pick up their pet one day early if they choose to do so.

Although the business offers boarding, grooming, day care and training, they do not offer vet care.

For more information, visit Helenadoghouse.com or Facebook.com/Helena-Dog-House-1550096615038820/.