New dog boarding and daycare business opens in downtown Hamilton

“We have always been pet owners and we’ve always loved to travel and when we were traveling a lot it was difficult to find anyone to care for our pets,” said Ruckh. “There wasn’t one in Hamilton and we would have to beg, borrow or steal family members to stay in our house, or drive 30, 40 minutes away to stay at a nearby boarding facility.”

When her older dog was young and high-energy, she and her husband, Ty, wished they had a facility closer by and it “probably would have made all of our lives so much easier, where she could have gone and played and done things during the day while we were at work.”

Ruckh is a life-long Hamiltonian and said she loves everything happening in the city, and this nearly two-year process of finding a location and opening had been made easier with the city’s help, as well as other small businesses.

“It’s a great community,” she said. “All the small businesses help each other out, and I’ve been received with open arms.

The Third+Dayton location was the third spot Ruckh had found. The first two weren’t right for different reasons, but she said Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President Dan Bates led her to North Third Street, “and we immediately fell in love with the space.”

Cutting the ribbon on the grand opening for Bark Hamilton was an “exciting day,” said Bates.

“I remember when we first toured this site, and we’re excited to finally have you open a much-needed service here in downtown Hamilton ― and you might even get my crazy dog at some point,” he said.

Ruckh has embraced the idea of local, and not just being a service for Hamilton residents. She said she’s worked with other local businesses, including with her retail shop inside the facility.

“I think Hamilton needed something like this ― a great place to bring their dogs and be able to go out and about in the city, go to work, travel, and do all that guilt-free because their dogs are in a safe space,” she said. “A lot of people helped us, and we’re so grateful.”

For more information, call 513-320-0147 or visit barkhamilton.com.