Red River K9 II under new ownership, plans to expand

Jennifer Much

Contributor

August 23, 2023

LUXEMBURG – A barn in Kewaunee County has a new lease on life.

Located at E401 Borley Lane in Luxemburg, the refurbished barn now houses Red River K9 II LLC, a family-owned and operated dog daycare, kennel and retail store.

Getting its start as Red River K9 I, new owner Tracie Veeser – who purchased the business last August – changed it to “II” to mark its second ownership.

Veeser, a dog lover herself, said she saw potential in the business, which led to the purchase, bringing in her own ideas.

“Having a passion for dogs, when we saw the property up for sale, we saw this as a unique business opportunity in our area that interested us,” she said. “We also saw the opportunity to bring customers all the additional services we have added to give them a bigger and better experience.”

Veeser said Red River K9 II is a fully-licensed boarding and daycare service with 24-hour canine surveillance and on-site staff.

Boarding is available seven days a week, while daycare is available four days a week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays).

“Both are equally used a lot,” she said. “The majority of our clients are local, however, we do get a lot of out-of-town guests who are traveling to Door County.”

The kennel area, Veeser said, is climate controlled and offers cozy double kennels that can comfortably accommodate two dog beds.

The facility also has single kennels for dogs of all sizes.

Veeser said Red River’s mission is to give dogs and their owners access to quality care and compassionate support in a relaxed environment.

The outdoor turf space at Red River makes for clean outside time year-round. Submitted Photo

“Clients like the private suites their dogs are given along with how clean our facility is,” she said.

Red River also has indoor and outdoor play areas.

The outdoor space, Veeser said, is surrounded by solid wood privacy fencing.

And best of all, she said the facility features artificial turf and year-round grass, which means “no muddy paws.”

“We are the only facility in the area that has artificial turf in the play yard,” she said. “After we took over the business, we replaced the rough sand with the artificial turf to help paw pads.”

Veeser said Red River K9 II has a dedicated team that matches her passion for furry friends.

“We are a family-owned business, and I work with my employees full-time,” she said.

A typical day, Veeser said, entails lots of hard work, but also time for love and play.

She said all boarding dogs get seven hours of supervised active play time outside daily.

“We work with the pups from 7-10 a.m., then are in the office working on client booking requests and marketing (while the dogs rest and relax),” she said. “We then return with the dogs from 2-6 p.m. after they are given a mental and physical break in their day.”

Veeser said she and her staff reconnect with furry guests once again before bedtime.

“We work hard to make sure your pet feels comfortable and relaxed while staying with us,” she said.

Whether utilizing daycare or boarding services, Veeser said four-legged friends at Red River K9 II have the opportunity to burn energy, de-stress, play and socialize – while owners get the peace of mind their pet is well-cared for.

“Most of the clients who come to us that have been to other facilities have given us the feedback that we are unique in the amount of communication we give to the clients during and after their pups’ stay,” she said. “Meeting all our customers continues to inspire us to do bigger, greater and better things for them and their pups.” 

Since taking over, Veeser said she’s initiated many changes at Red River K9 II that enhance her growing business.

“Within the first year, we remodeled and added grooming to the facility,” she said.

Veeser said Red River partnered with The Spaw, to bring its clients onsite pet grooming services. 

“We also added raw and kibble dog food sales and a full-service boarding facility for our customers,” she said. 

Veeser said there are even more plans for expansion in the books.

“We are currently working on the training arena (through a partnership with JN Dog Training),” she said. “We are also adding our property to Sniffspot for others to use our play yard when not in use and the additional acres outside of the play yard.”

Tracie Veeser said Red River’s mission is to provide dogs with an opportunity to burn energy, destress, play and socialize – while owners get the peace of mind their pet is well-cared for. Submitted Photo

Sniffspot, Veeser said, is a community marketplace platform that enables customers to rent locations by the hour for use as a safe, private dog park.

“We will also eventually need to add additional kennels,” she said. “There will be lots of growth and changes to add lots of benefits. We were accredited by the Better Business Bureau (recently), which is an honor to receive.”

Veeser said she is looking forward to what’s ahead for Red River.

“We hope to continue to be the best kennel option and home away from home for our pups,” she said. “Whether that is through adding on or building maintenance.”

Along with providing a fun space for dogs, Veeser said Red River K9 II believes in helping the community through donations and beyond.

“We have continued to provide donations and have school fundraisers at our facility,” she said. “We also had Tuesday Night Food Truck with local vendors for the community to come in and sell their products at no cost. We are always looking for ways to continue to give back to the community.”

For more information on boarding, daycare or special events, visit redriverk9llc.com.