The best care for boarding, daycare and grooming
By Kaycee Chance
Photos by Linda Earley
The preparation that comes with traveling can be overwhelming for any family, and another layer of stress for many is finding a safe, fun place for their furry family members to stay while they are away for days at a time—or even just at work for the day.
Vera Mahen, the owner of Vera’s Posh Paws, once felt that same stress before opening her facility; it’s what motivated her to begin researching daycare and boarding facilities to see what works best for pets and pet owners alike.
“I didn’t feel comfortable taking my own dogs anywhere to board or to go to daycare, and I thought maybe there were other people out there that felt like me,” Mahen explains.
A native of Oklahoma City, Mahen has always had dogs in her family and began taking interest in boarding and daycare facilities while living in other states.
“I was able to get a great feel for what works—and what doesn’t,” Mahen says. Patrons can see the amount of research and care that has been put into Vera’s Posh Paws, which provides options for pet parents to bring their dog to daycare, board them overnight or for extended periods of time as needed.
When the facility first opened in Moore in 2006, some of the major features included play ramps, slides, dog wading pools, sprinklers for the pups to play in and lots of interactive toys and games.
Over time, Vera’s has evolved to include webcams where pet parents can login with their phones or computers and see their pups at play in real time. Mahen even jokes that pet parents often say they can’t get any work done—they’re too busy enjoying watching their pups play and make new friends.
Because Vera’s Posh Paws was so successful in Moore, another location was opened in Oklahoma City by 2015. “I felt such a sense of community after we opened in Moore,” Mahen says. “Everyone supported us so much that I felt a pull to open a Vera’s Posh Paws in the northwest part of Oklahoma City where I am from.”
Once Mahen felt the pull for a second location, the search began for property, which was later purchased on Northwest Expressway. “We owned the land for a few years before we began building, and the second location officially opened in 2015,” she says.
Both of Vera’s Posh Paws locations are beautifully designed with the dogs in mind. “Each location is on over an acre of land with spacious indoor and outdoor play areas and an open door that connects the two,” Mahen explains. “The dogs can choose whether to go into the indoor or outdoor play areas.”
The goals at Vera’s Posh Paws are quite simple: give pet owners peace of mind while they’re away and provide a clean, safe, fun environment for each and every dog that visits.
“We love seeing the dogs playing, making friends and having fun,” Mahen continues. “And it really tugs at my heartstrings when they have so much fun that they’re not quite ready to go home yet!”
Vera’s Posh Paws accepts all sizes and breeds of dogs, and the staff loves to watch the dogs become friends and play together. To ensure the safety of all the dogs that come to Vera’s for boarding or daycare, there is an interview process prior to a pet’s first stay at the facility.
“We want everyone to have a good experience when they stay with us,” Mahen says, “and we want to be a vacation for your dog while you’re away.”
Having an interview process helps the staff ensure they are the right fit for each pup. In addition, the staff is equipped to handle dogs who may be on the shyer side. “We really enjoy working with dogs that have not been as socialized, helping them to overcome their fears and make friends with the other dogs and enjoy the interactive environment,” Mahen says.
In fact, Vera’s longest-running customer, Lucy, started out this way. One day, before Vera’s Posh Paws opened in 2006, Mahen received a call from a friend, Linda, who was trying to help a stray dog. After weeks of Linda and her neighbors working together, Lucy was finally caught and given a wonderful forever home.
“Linda has given Lucy the best home and the best love,” Mahen explains. “Once she was acclimated to her new, wonderful home, she started coming to daycare. …We love each and every story that the dogs bring with them, and we love each and every dog as part of the Vera’s Posh Paws family.”
In addition to daycare and boarding, Vera’s Posh Paws also offers grooming services as well as dog food, treats and toys available for purchase. Longtime pet owner Cody says his pup, Mowgli, enjoys many of the services that Vera and her team have to offer. “My dog and I both love the entire staff at Vera’s,” he says. “From daycare to overnight stays or grooming, you really can’t go wrong!”
A typical day for dogs staying at Vera’s includes scheduled times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rest of the day is filled with toys, games and interactive time. “A few of our favorite activities are bubble blowing, fetch, soccer and follow the leader, where all of the dogs follow us as we go in and out of the buildings!”
As for the staff, their favorite activity is, of course, to love on all of the sweet dogs in their care, giving them attention and affection. “I think the dogs’ favorite part is all the good bottom scratches,” Mahen jokes.
Both Vera’s Posh Paws locations are thoughtfully-run boarding, daycare and grooming facilities that put pet owners and their dogs at the forefront of design and management, striving each day to give furry family members the best care. The staff strives to make each pooch and owner feel like family.
Vera’s is open 365 days a year and offers packages that include daycare, boarding and extended period stays, all of which can be found online at verasposhpaws.com. For photos of adorable pets at play, check out Vera’s Posh Paws Facebook page as well as their Instagram @verasposhpawswoof.
For pet owners in the Northwest Oklahoma City and Moore areas looking for a fun, safe boarding/daycare environment, look no further. At Vera’s Posh Paws, your pet will always be treated like family.
Breakout Box if space allows:
Find the Vera’s nearest you:
105 Sutton Circle
Moore, Oklahoma 73160
(405) 759-7674
8533 NW Expressway
OKC, Oklahoma 73162
(405) 759-3647