PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A dog boarding facility in the Churchland neighborhood of Portsmouth is providing peace of mind for military members deployed thousands of miles away.
Port Rover, a dog day care and boarding facility, has served the community for six years. Owner Mark Davis told WTKR 100 dogs come through the facility on any given day.
"We do daycare, overnight boarding, and grooming, and we have an adventure club program for dogs that don't do well in group play. They go on pack walks, they do treadmill, and they do puzzle games, and we try to cater to all dogs," Davis said.
What sets Port Rover apart is who they serve. Facility Manager Cheri Capuano said more than half of their clients are in the military.
"Most military don’t have family here, so we become their extended family," Capuano said.
Davis said the business was built with the military in mind.
"It's in our name. Port Rover. We started it with the, you know, thoughts of knowing this is a military town to take care of their pets while they're gone," Davis said.
The facility cares for dogs belonging to sailors on the USS Gerald R. Ford and, more recently, the USS Gonzalez. As the war with Iran continues, Davis expects clientele will increase.
"With everything that’s going on in the world right now. We expect a lot more long-term boarders from service members getting deployed," Davis said.
Davis said it is a sense of pride knowing his facility gives service members one less thing to worry about. Dogs like Canon, Luna, and Thor are cared for by staff supporting service members from across Hampton Roads.
"We try to treat them like one of our own. We don't let them sit in a kennel all day. We'll get them out. We'll get them on pack walks — Just try to keep them as active as possible," Davis said.
