Above: Britney Kawecki will be opening her new business, Bed & Biscuits Kennels, in Fairmont. Here Kawecki poses in front of one of her business’ kennels.

FAIRMONT — Bed & Biscuits Kennels will soon be opening in Fairmont. The business will offer boarding for dogs, cats and other animals. It also will offer a variety of other services, including pet grooming and pet day care.

The business is owned by Britney Kawecki and is located at 1041 Marcus St. in Fairmont. Kawecki is hoping to open sometime in April.

Kawecki explained why she wanted to start the business.

“I grew up on a farm and we always had livestock of some type. When I was about 10, my dad and I built two dog kennels. When I was young I had a kennel service for basically my family. Ever since then, it’s always been something I wanted to do.”

She is originally from Fairmont and after spending several years in the Twin Cities, moved back to town with her husband for work in 2009. She’s a registered nurse and currently works as a school nurse for Southern Plains Education Cooperative.

Kawecki said that despite spending the last 15 years as a registered nurse, this has always been a dream for her.

She had been in contact with the previous property owner’s son ever since she moved back to Fairmont. Every year she would send a message to ask if they were interested in selling. In April of last year, they were ready to sell.

“It kind of fell into place,” Kawecki said.

She started working on the facility in August and now spends most of her time there. The property was zoned light industrial so she went through the process to get the proper zoning. She has been cleaning the space and installing all of the needed fixtures.

The property includes more than 3,000 square feet of outdoor space, including four separate runs.

There are 24 kennels inside that will be used for boarding. There are 3×5 and 4×6-foot kennels to accommodate for different sized dogs.

“It’s mainly for when people go on vacation or need somewhere for their pet to go when they can’t be there to take care of it. It can be for a day, a week or longer,” Kawecki said.

There will be additional room for other animals like cats, hamsters, guinea pigs or whatever it may be.

Kawecki said there will also be a self-serve pet wash that will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. She explained that it will operate similar to a car wash. People will bring their pet in and use a card to pay for soak, rinse or dry.

She has been reaching out to people to find a groomer so that grooming services also can be offered.

Kawecki said phase two will hopefully be done by late summer or early fall. It will include a doggy day care so people who go to work can drop off their dog so it doesn’t have to be home alone.

“We’ll have people who exercise and play with the dogs,” Kawecki said.

Pricing will be set at a daily rate or half-day rate.

“I definitely won’t be able to do it 24 hours a day with my family and nursing job. Initially I will be utilizing my family to help out but will be looking to hire,” Kawecki said.

She has had some high school students reach out to her about job opportunities and she thinks it could also be a good fit for some retired people in the community or people looking for part-time jobs.

When asked what she thinks the business will bring to Fairmont and the surrounding community, Kawecki said she thinks it’s a needed service.

“I think when it comes to people’s pets, they’re important to them. They want someone close that can take care of them and know that they’re well taken care of,” Kawecki said.

To see pictures of the space and updates on progress, Bed & Biscuits Kennels can be found on Facebook. Information on rates and other details can be found on the website, bedandbiscuitskennels.com