Cozy Pups, Bellevue’s first urban dog care center

Bellevue’s urban renaissance now includes a dog day care center: Cozy Pups Doggy Day Care. Owners Minette and Doug Staab made use of an industrial area in downtown Bellevue for their new business. Jodi Robinson, assistant city administrator of Bellevue, said that the space was vacant for a number of years due to the difficulty of finding a business that could utilize it.”Because we found something that works beautifully for the vacant building, it gives all of us in the urban core and suburbs the message that there is hope and opportunity for most vacant structures,” Robinson said.Now residents and workers in Northern Kentucky or downtown Cincinnati have a convenient place for dogs to play and interact with other dogs in a spacious indoor and outdoor environment. Cozy Pups focuses on keeping the dogs happy and healthy with exercise and various activities. The Staab’s plan to add different themed rooms such as an agility training room, do-it yourself dog bathing room, and grooming salon. Part of the Staab’s focus includes partnering with the Bellevue high school tennis team who supply used tennis balls for the daycare. Robinson believes the daycare will promote positive changes in the district by bringing new visitors to the urban core.”It provides a needed service and is also locally and independently owned, which every community wants to have,” Robinson said. A grand opening was held this Sunday, January 9. Cozy Pups partnered with SAAP (Stray Animal Adoption Program), a non-profit organization for stray and abused animals in the local area to organize a fundraiser and adoption day as well.”When you get a new business owner that jumps in to be a part of the community instead of just own a business, there is a big difference there,” Robinson said. Cozy Pups is now scheduling evaluation visits during the hours of 8:30am-1:30pm Monday through Friday. Dog owners can call 859-291-2699(COZY) or email: info@cozypups.netWriter: Lisa EnsmingerPhotography by Scott Beseler.