I was sitting in our reception in DIP at my usual spot when Choco and Sharo – a Chocolate Lab and a Saluki rushed in dragging their mom behind them. Every day I see this multiple times with our multiple dogs….. Olly, Tiffany, Nola, Gunner, Chico, Jet ….- and every time it brings a smile to my face. The best part of what I do. Suddenly lots of memories rushed back for some reason. I still remember the day so clearly when we picked up Chloe from the adoption center- and probably that day the seed of Romis Home Pets Nursery got planted
Chloe was 4 months old when we adopted her and she was seven months old when we first traveled after having her in our life… And we planned for her stay in our absence way advanced in time. We found a well reputable dog kennel in Dubai. Did our part of research. Chloe passed her assessment and started going there to attend daycare- she became pretty comfortable with the dogs and the people in the kennel.
Everything was going good until we traveled. The first night I was very anxious. But I got a report that she seemed to be adjusting fine.
The second night the heart breaking call came . Chloe spent the whole night crying. She had tried to break down the door of her room. She scratched her nails off trying to dig a hole into the cement floor .
I did what any dog parent would do. I canceled my vacation and flew back to Dubai the next day.
We understood this setup, where Chloe had to be in her own room alone for about 10 to 12 hours a day- would not work for her.
It was not the kennel’s fault at all, but the setup was not suitable for Chloe. She was a dog who needed interaction with both humans and canine.
After the incident, we had stopped traveling together as a family. Someone had to be with her- either me or my husband or my daughters.
In the quest to find a solution for Chloe’s separation anxiety, I started working with a trainer.
Having grown up with dogs my whole life, this was an experience I really started to enjoy.
After working a couple of weeks, one day our trainer told me- “ Romi you are natural with dogs. Let me train you. You can assist me if you want”. I happily agreed.
In a turn of events, as I was not traveling- my friends started keeping their dogs with me when they were out of town. Then all of a sudden I started having WhatsApp messages and calls from friend’s friends- word of mouth was spreading.
Because of the training I was getting – the dogs staying with me and Chloe, they naturally started behaving better. The parents noticed a distinct difference in the behavior of their pups.
Time flew by.
If I look back, I can’t believe – 2016 summer I had Chloe and quite a few other dogs. I had to then hire my first employee. In a couple of months, the number of dogs increased and I had to hire my second employee. By early 2017, we obtained our commercial license.
Dogs are pack animals. In nature neither the pack leaves the dog or the dog leaves the pack. In our human society, the family is their pack. And we expect them to behave in a way that suits us. Some dogs can adjust. Some can not. For them staying alone at home or in a typical kennel setting, where they need to be locked in their own rooms or crate for about 10/12 hrs – even if you give a tv or sofa and lots of toys or whatever luxury you can give – nothing matters. They need human and canine companions.
Our place became literally home away from home for our pups. We knew each one of them very well. Their special requirements and needs. The number of our customers started growing constantly.
By 2019, I had a team of 8 boys. The number of dogs coming to us for doggy daycare and dog boarding increased to such a number that it became impossible to operate in our residential area. So we decided to rent a 10,000 ft.² warehouse in DIP 2.
Our project started- I drew a sketch of the place the way I imagined it. I drew the interior. In my imagination- It can not be a typical setup of a dog kennel- where dogs need to be in their own rooms for 10-12 hrs. Nothing wrong in that setup- but there are dogs like Chloe, and I wanted to make a place for them. The same principles we were running in our home set-up. We planned a unique system, where dogs are separated by their sizes in 4 groups. But they are never locked up in any room or crate. They stay in their own group and 24/7 they have supervisors with them, who are extremely experienced professionals. So dogs like Chloe can have an anxiety-free happy place.
We shifted to our new place in DIP 2 on 18th December 2019.
Romis Home Pets Nursery, as we love to call a doggy school, where we have doggy daycare, dog boarding, dog grooming, dog training, and pet sitting service. Whatever venture we do here – the goal is to keep our positive vibes up and high.
Time again flew at its own pace. Eventually we outgrew our current branch in DIP 2. It took us 3 years to reach a point where we needed to open our 2nd branch in Ras Al Khor in December 2022.
Chloe is 10 now, but with God’s grace, she goes to her school- her doggy daycare, 5 days a week. She plays, she swims – she knows she is the reason behind everything. She knows she is the captain of team Romi’s.
If someone asks me what I am really happy about, or proud of after almost 8 years into this business- it’s my team , my 36 amazing boys.
Dogs are very sensitive animals. They cannot be happy and relaxed if the people around them are not happy, stress-free, and confident. My boys are with me thick and thin. They are extremely experienced, and extremely dedicated – they know each of our dogs, their requirements, their specific characteristics and needs.
I feel proud when I see my boys growing with me, their families are happy, well taken care of and kids are getting educated.
As I don’t have a typical corporate mentality, because I don’t have a corporate background, as years in this field progressed I realized- our main investment is our reputation, our hard work and dedication. In return the trust, the love and the support we receive from our customers, I can not explain. Even during covid time – we are probably one of very few small businesses, who didn’t have to head cut or didn’t have to cut anyone’s salary. As a business- we are extremely blessed.
We try to give back whatever we get whenever there is an opportunity. We work with different Rescue Organizations here in the UAE. Fostering their dogs, socializing them well, so that the possibility of getting adopted, increases. In return, their blessing and wagging tails – work for us. Giving back to society is the only way I can thank my universe.
In the future- I would love to work with kids, encouraging them to adopt dogs, be responsible and respectful towards the animal world. We will love to make the parents more aware- how adopting a dog can leave positive impact in building up a kid’s character
This is the story of Romis Home Pet Nursery , the best doggy daycare and dog boarding in Dubai, offering many other essential facilities for your paw friend until now. We are happy that we could build up a system for dogs like Chloe. This 100% organically grown business is nothing but a small effort by a simple woman, her dog and her team of amazing boys to make a happy, stress-free, anxiety-free and overall crate-free place for dogs
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