Sixteen years ago, Camp Ruff It was created with a simple idea: dogs deserve a safe place to
be dogs. But over the last four years, as my husband Ryan and I stepped into ownership and
spent more time learning about canine behavior, enrichment, and emotional wellness,
something shifted in the way we viewed dog daycare altogether.
We realized it should not just be about sending dogs home tired.
It should be about sending them home fulfilled.
That philosophy became the foundation for our new 13,000-square-foot location in Carol
Stream, opening this summer just steps away from our current space. Every inch of this new
Camp Ruff was intentionally designed around how dogs actually experience the world.
On May 2nd, we opened our doors to the community for a New Location Preview Party, giving
families and dog lovers their very first look inside the future of Camp Ruff It. More than 300
people toured the space, explored our enrichment areas, visited our build-your-own lick mat
station, and experienced firsthand the thought process behind every detail of the new facility.
Most traditional daycare environments are built for human convenience. Bright lighting. Loud
spaces. Open fencing where dogs constantly react to movement around them. But dogs
experience the world very differently than we do, and we wanted to create a space that allows
them to finally exhale.
From the moment you walk into our new facility, it feels softer and calmer. We chose fear-free
colors and warm tones instead of harsh bright whites that can feel overstimulating to dogs.
Instead of traditional fencing, we built solid wall partitions to reduce constant visual stimulation
and help dogs settle more naturally into their environment.
One of the spaces guests were most excited to experience during the Preview Party was our
new Scent Space. Each month, the room will transform into a completely different sensory
experience for dogs to explore. For our opening theme, we created an indoor camping-inspired environment filled with new scents, textures, objects, and obstacles designed to encourage curiosity and confidence. Dogs experience the world through scent first, and giving them opportunities to sniff, explore, and problem-solve is incredibly enriching for their emotional well-being.
We have also expanded our senior care spaces into five dedicated Senior Cabins for older
dogs, dogs with special needs, or dogs who simply prefer a slower pace. These spaces allow
for more one-on-one attention, softer surfaces, lower beds, and individualized care tailored to
each dog’s needs and comfort level.
And then there is our boarding.
At Camp Ruff It, dogs do not spend their nights alone in kennels. Our boarding dogs sleep in
large, cozy bedrooms with human beds, couches, TVs, blankets, and overnight staff members
who snuggle with them through the night. It is a true sleepover experience designed around
comfort, safety, and connection because we believe dogs deserve to feel loved even after the
lights go out.
What makes this new chapter even more meaningful is that much of it was built by hand by our family, our team, and the people closest to us. Every wall, every room, and every detail carries pieces of the people who love this business most.
This new Camp Ruff It is bigger, yes. But more importantly, it is more intentional. More
thoughtful. More connected to what dogs truly need.
And we cannot wait to welcome the community into it.
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