Joann Riley and Jeremy Morris pictured with Kino, left, and Nova at Doggy Haven’s second Easter egg hunt “For the Dogs!” at 3025 N. County Road 650W, Brownstown.
Spot left, and Zeek search for treats inside eggs while Garrett Morris and Niklas Niley cheer them on at Doggy Haven’s second Easter egg hunt “For the Dogs!” at 3025 N. County Road 650W, Brownstown.
Rose, owned by Macy Stalcup, stops to say “hi” to the camera Saturday during Doggy Haven’s second Easter egg hunt “For the Dogs!” at 3025 N. County Road 650W, Brownstown.
Ginger owned by Jennifer Duncan was all smiles at Saturday during Doggy’s Haven’s second Easter egg hunt “For the Dogs!” at 3025 N. County Road 650W, Brownstown.
Doggy Haven, located at 3025 N. Co. Rd. 650 W, Brownstown, was founded by Lexi McKinney in 2021. She currently offers boarding and grooming and will begin to offer daycare this upcoming summer.
The grooming area at Doggy Haven, 3025 N. County Road 650W, Brownstown, which held its second Easter egg hunt “For the Dogs!”
Doggy Haven, where the second Easter egg hunt “For the Dogs!” on Saturday, is located at 3025 N. County Road 650W, Brownstown.
Kids aren’t the only ones hunting for eggs this Easter season, nor humans for that matter.
The second Easter egg hunt “For the Dogs!” was held this past Saturday at Doggy Haven in Brownstown, 3025 N. County Road 650 W.
Dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds used their keen senses of smell to sniff out treats encased in multi-colored eggs.
There were four eggs with grand prizes tucked inside — two for small dogs and two for big dogs. These prizes included discount slips offering $10 off a night of boarding and $10 off the next grooming appointment.
The hunt began at 2 p.m. and lasted until 4 p.m. Clients arrived in steady increments and set their own pace as their dogs searched for goodies inside eggs sprawled across the yard in front of Doggy Haven.
All dogs had to be on leashes and up to date on their vaccinations.
Prior to starting this event last year, Lexi McKinney, the founder, manager and CEO of Doggy Haven LLC, hid eggs around the house for her dogs to find.
“I always see kids hunting for eggs and I thought to myself, ‘these (eggs) have small holes in them — dogs could sniff them out.’” McKinney said.
Having been raised on a small farm, McKinney’s love for animals was cultivated at a very young age as she cared for and tended to her family’s horses, dogs, goats, chickens, ducks, cows, cats and more.
“I love animals, I have always loved animals,” McKinney said. “Me and my husband don’t have children. We have nine dogs of our own.”
According to McKinney’s grandmother, Joann Riley, McKinney and her husband Blade do not sleep in the master bedroom of their home. That room is reserved for their dogs.
McKinney worked at Rumpke Landfill & Recycling in the Medora area before deciding she wanted a job where she could stay home with the dogs.
When Doggy Haven first opened in 2021, it was a solely a place for boarding. McKinney soon began to offer grooming appointments and will begin to offer daycare this summer.
“I have all kinds of ideas for stuff like (the Easter egg hunt),” McKinney said. “We try to spoil our dogs as much as possible.”
Doggy Haven currently books by appointment only.
On the Doggy Haven Facebook page, McKinney said the facility has doggy suites featuring a bed/couch with a TV and there’s also a doggy playground.
“I make it my mission to ensure your pet is happy and safe while in my care at all times and treat each one as if they were my own,” McKinney said.
Appointments can be made at doggy-haven.com, or by calling 812-929-7540.