Bed & Biscuit kennel opens in Frankford
Kimberly Wade, former manager of a popular Lewes-based kennel and cattery, has struck out on her own, opening a new kennel she is calling Bed & Biscuit on an 11-acre farm property in rural Frankford.
Wade, a native of the Philadelphia region, said she has been working with animals for nearly 20 years, first in pet stores, then as a veterinary technician, later managing the large Neverland kennel and cattery in Lewes after she moved to Delaware.
“I loved my job at Neverland,” Wade said. “It was great, but I’m a grownup now, and I felt like it was time to go out on my own.”
She considered her options long and hard, but when Wade found out about the Frankford location, which includes an 1865 farmhouse where she now lives, a pond, stables and three existing kennel buildings, it was the answer to her prayers.
“It’s a dream come true,” Wade said. “This is exactly what I wanted to have for myself, and when I saw this I couldn’t pass it up.”
She moved into the property in the spring and got to work renovating three existing buildings and 17 kennels. On average, Wade says she has between 20 and 25 dogs boarding at any given time, as opposed to her past experiences managing 60 to 80 boarding dogs.
Wade said the smaller size allows her to spend time with each animal daily, which is her favorite part of the job.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and the advantage here is that it’s a lot smaller than what I was used to,” she said. “So I personally get to spend a lot more individual play time with each dog here, at least once and sometimes twice a day.”
Each kennel is climate-controlled indoors and has a doorway so animals can reach their own gated outdoor space. Each of the three kennel buildings has a large playground, and the owner said she and her part-time staff take each dog or family of dogs out daily for playtime.
“These walls keep the dogs from seeing each other,” Wade said. “They can see outside, they can see us, but they can’t see the other dogs.”
An animal lover who studied anthropology and women’s studies at Temple University, she was originally planning to become a veterinarian, but instead, Wade found another way to work with animals. Currently, the Bed & Biscuit owner is pursuing a graduate degree in anthrozoology, she said, which examines the bond between animals and their human companions.
Eventually Wade hopes to open a cattery and incorporate the stables into her operation, but as her first season unfolds, she’s been busy putting her own stamp on the operation.
“I like staying small so I can get the one-on-one time with dogs,” Wade said. “You just need patience. You read the dog and pay attention to body language. I see what they’re telling me.”
The new Bed & Biscuit is located at 32453 McCary Road in Frankford. For more information, call 302-436-1668; search Bed and Biscuit kennel on Facebook or go to www.bedandbiscuitkennels.com.
