Our Story
The Ark was founded by an ordinary couple of dog parents in search of a pet sitter or boarding facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Unfortunately, in 2005 there were no good options. While there were veterinarians and kennels none gave them the safe, fun, and loving feeling they wanted for their beloved fur baby. They were not alone, and they knew it, so in 2006 they opened the very first Ark Pet Spa & Hotel in Chattanooga’s North Shore. They wanted something better and knew they could create it with a strong crew around them. The Ark would be different than the competition; The Ark would provide hospitality to pets of all kinds. Like The Ark’s name and logo imply, it would be an all inclusive pet hotel and spa. Not only would The Ark provide a loving, safe, and fun environment for dogs, but it would also provide those things to all pets from cats and birds, to hamsters and even pet lizards. While the majority of the expected business was dogs they were prepared and from the start created dedicated square footage to board animals of all kinds.
They also knew that simply building an Ark would not do, they needed a strong crew to keep the business afloat. The goal was always to find honest, pet lovers to crew The Ark, but not everyone knew how to properly care for pets in a safe and fun manner, that is why they sought guidance from experts in the field. The knowledge gained from the experts trickled down to every member of the crew. To this day crew training is a key to The Ark’s success. Without a strong, loving, and well-trained crew The Ark would surely fail. They wanted to make sure that every day and every year The Ark would move forward and improve it’s staff, facilities, and systems.