A look at Camp Bow Wow McHenry
Indoor Play Areas
Camp Bow Wow McHenry has 3 indoor play areas that lead to 3 outdoor play areas so our Campers can roam in and out as they choose all day long! This also allows us to divide the dogs by size and activity level to provide a safe play area for all our furry friends.
Outdoor Play Areas
During the summer we break out the Pup Pools so those with an urge can SPLASH! We also have a shade structure so if your pooch likes to lounge outside, he can find the perfect spot to lay down. And then there are those who love to work on their tan!
Makin' New Friends At Camp
All dogs agree that Camp Bow Wow is the place to be! This is the place where your dog can romp and play and make new friends and go home exhausted. Your furry pal will have a Dog Gone Great Time while you are away!
We had a BLAST on Doug's Couch!
The Story of Doug's Couch
"The Couch" started with a trip to Florida. The original couch was purchased at a thrift store and taken to the Gasparilla Festival in Tampa, FL. It was used as seating at the parade. The plan was to leave it there, but the Tampa Police Department had other plans. After giving the Officer his drivers license number, the couch was loaded back onto the roof of Doug’s truck, and 
"donated" back to the thrift store, minus a pillow, that following Monday. Couch two stuck around a little longer and was taken to 3 parades, numerous gatherings, and a camping trip. That couch was also placed on a pontoon and taken out the Petite Lake Boat Party featuring the Swing Crew Band. That brings us to the 3rd couch, given to Doug by BK Boat and Sleds. They attained it along with a snowmobile in trade for a BK sweatshirt. Now Doug is sharing his couch with local businesses and events in the community and snapping pics to post on his blog at www.dougscouch.com. The
couch came to see us at Camp Bow Wow McHenry and we had a BLAST doing the photo shoot! We tried to get as many dogs on the couch as possible! What a riot with Rocky the 150 lb Rottweiler sitting on Doug's lap! The dogs all had fun AND no one peed on the couch - for those of you who have future visits with Doug and his couch -- no pee just a little dog hair! Check out the pics in the Photo Gallery and Doug's version of Camp Bow Wow McHenry on his blog at www.dougscouch.com!
Camp Bow Wow McHenry named Best Pet Kennel!
The Northwest Herald 2009 Readers Choice awards have been announced! We are so proud that Camp Bow Wow McHenry has been chosen as the Best Pet Kennel! Thank you to everyone who thinks Camp is Cool! Guess What? We do too!
June Special: Tropical Tuesdays
Summer is HERE! Join us this month for our June Special - Tropical Tuesdays!! It's our "Full Day of Daycare for the Half Day Price". Take advantage of our Tropical Tuesdays and let your dog SPLASH with us in our Pup Pools! Call us and make a "Tropical Tuesday" reservation for any Tuesday in June and you will get a full day of daycare for the half day price - ONLY $15! You have to say "Tropical Tuesday" when you call to get the special price!
June Special: My Crazy Canine Crew Days!
Introducing our new monthly special day - "My Crazy Canine Crew" Days. We are going to dedicate each month to a specific breed and invite all members of that breed to join their Crazy Canine Crew buddies at Day Camp on Thursdays for a special price of ONLY $20! June is Golden Retriever month! Calling all Goofy Goldens! Join us on Thursdays for "My Crazy Canine Crew" days for ONLY $20! Call to make your "My Crazy Canine Crew" reservations to get the special price!
Save the Date: Furry Fiesta Days Luau 7.18.09
Join us on July 18th for our Furry Fiesta Days Luau! This event is going to be HOT! Announcing our special guest to help us shake our hula skirts, Joel Silverman, host of Animal Planet's "Good Dog U", along with his dog Foster! (Check out his website at www.companionsforlife.net.) He will conduct a one hour seminar, answer your questions, and sign his new book "What Color is Your Dog"! He will be donating $1 of every book sold while at the Camp to the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, Camp Bow Wow's non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives and health of dogs everywhere! We will also be having fun activities for the dogs including the always popular Bobbing for Hot Dogs, the Bow Wow Bathing Suit Contest (yes, for the pups, not for us!), Swimming Pool Pooch Pics, and Dogs & Suds baths for charity. Vendors will be on hand along with dog demonstrations, all accompanied by tropical island music! Save the date and join us for a Luau!
Check Out Our New Blog on McHenry County Magazine!
The Bow Wow Blog is up and running at www.mchenrycountymagazine.com! McHenry County Magazine is a new FREE magazine that you have to check out! I love the content - it's passionate and informative about our local people. MCM is starting a Pet section in the magazine where they are going to feature pictures of your pets as well as helpful hints and stories about pet care. Follow me in the online mag at the Bow Wow Blog as I share some of the joys and adventures of the dogs who make a difference in our lives here at Camp Bow Wow.
Barking for Boobs T-Shirts & Bandanas are HERE!
Support Camp Bow Wow McHenry in Barking for Boobs! That's right! As we support the Bark for a Cure walk on Saturday, May 16th, we will be Barking for Boobs! Help donate to the Avon Walk by buying one of our very own "Barking for Boobs" t-shirts & bandanas! The t-shirts come in white or pink for ladies and in white for men. Our In-Camp special prices are $20 each or two for $30. You can also order them online on our Barking for Boobs website at www.barkingforboobs.com for $20 each. The bandanas come in white and are available for $10 each in small and large. All proceeds go to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Help us raise money for the Pink Ribbon Angels as they participate in the Avon Walk! See our Bark for a Cure page on our website for more information on the walk. We'd love to see you all there!
Graduation Special! $10 OFF Your Boarding Stay!
Are you having or attending a Graduation Party this summer? Where will the Pooch Party be while you are partying with the graduates? Bring the dogs to Camp for the weekend so you can get your house clean, your yard in order and CELEBRATE with your guests. Bring in your graduation invitiation to use as a $10 coupon on your boarding stay for the party weekend! (Not valid with any other offers, one $10 coupon per family, for use with overnight boarding stay only.)
Dog Gone It! Check our our fancy new collars!
You have to check out these VERY COOL new collars that I found at the Chicagoland Pet Expo! They are from Dog Gone It Designs out of Iowa and I just LOVE them. They have all the hip color combinations and they are very quality made collars for very reasonable prices. They even have a cute charm on them that you can have engraved so the collar is personalized for your dog. Stop in to check them out!
Flea & Tick Season is Here!
Spring has Sprung and Flea & Tick Season is coming! Make sure to have your dogs protected with Flea & Tick and Heartworm preventatives through the summer. Camp Bow Wow McHenry requires these treatments for your dog April through November to ensure the safety of all dogs at Camp. Check with your vet for more information on Heartgard and Frontline for your pup.
Cesar Millan
Camp Bow Wow Mardi Dawg
in New Orleans
The last weekend in September I had the most amazing opportunity to meet Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, at our Camp Bow Wow Mardi Dawg annual franchise meeting held in New Orleans. He was an incredible speaker and so much fun. He did a book signing for all of us, so I was able to get my copy of "Cesar's Way" signed by him! This photo was taken at the airport where a bunch of us girls saw him walking by and couldn't resist the urge to talk with him. (OK, maybe it was a little stalker-like, but we were unable to control ourselves!) He was so very nice and chatted with us for a while as we all waited for our flights home. How cool is that??
Camp Bow Wow McHenry Wins the Safety Award!
Every year at our annual franchise meeting we have an awards dinner where they give away several awards including Best in Show to the top Camp. This year they had a new Best in Class award for Safety. I am so proud to say that out of the 44 newly opened Camps this year, Camp Bow Wow McHenry was selected as the winner of this year's Safety Award! To me, this is the most prestigious award because it means that we run a clean & safe Camp, which is really what matters the most. Safety is THE #1 priority in our Camp and myself and all of my staff never let it slide. This is a great follow-up to our first corporate evaluation we had back in June where we were the first Camp ever to earn a 100% on the evaluation! We work so hard to run a great Camp. When it comes down to it, it's all about the dogs, and we make sure it's clean and safe for them 100% of the time.
The award from Camp Bow Wow Corporate:
"Kari Vanick's Camp runs like a well oiled machine. Kari's eye for detail and concern for health and safety has made her Camp stand out from the pack. When visiting the McHenry, IL Camp you can't help but notice all the extra little things that Kari ensures her staff completes. No pup leaves the Camp without their guardian being fully briefed on how their stay at Camp was. Kari's play yards are always monitored by the proper number of Camp Counselors. And her Camp sparkles because it is so clean. Kari's enthusiasm for her Campers and their guardians is apparent in the deliberate and loving care she provides at her Camp."
Can You See Me Now?
Want to check up on your dog, even when you're on the road, literally? Now you can view your dog on our web cams with your mobile phone! To get started:
1. Check with your mobile phone provider to make sure you have an unlimited data plan.
2. Surf to www.mobiledoggy.com with your mobile phone.
3. Create an account and use Provider Number 10620 for Camp Bow Wow McHenry.
Photo Gallery
Click here to check out our new photo gallery of ALL of the Camp Bow Wow McHenry Happy Campers, Fun Days at Camp, and our NEW album of all the Birthday Campers!
Check Us Out on YouTube -- The Mutts of McHenry!
We just finished the production of our first YouTube video -- "The Mutts of McHenry"! It's so cute to see all of our dogs having such a great time! Check it out and forward it to all of your friends so you can show them where your dog has a Dog Gone Great Time!