Unleashed in the Swan – A Canine Camp

SWAN VALLEY – Swan Valley resident Kathy Koors has offered free range boarding for dogs to her friends and family for the past seven years. This past month she received her Missoula County license and is insured to officially open the doors to Unleashed in the Swan Dog Camp. Her goal is to provide a safe place where dogs can come and socialize and have fun while their owners are away.

Koors started her career in human medicine working as an Emergency Medical Technician in Seattle, Wash. at Harborview Medical Center. She decided to switch to animals and worked as the practice manager at a major veterinary clinic in Seattle.

After moving to the Swan Valley in the early 1980s, it has always been her dream to work with dogs full-time. She worked for various organizations including Rustics, Swan Ecosystem Center and the US Forest Service but it was not until recently that her dream seemed within reach.

Koors decided that she and her husband Rick were financially set to pursue boarding dogs. She now offers a canine day care and extended care visits in her home as well as home visits should a client request she visit or stay in their home.

Koors requires a pre-visit before boarding a dog so she can see how the dog interacts with her three dogs. The dog must be dog and people friendly, leash trained at a minimum but voice trained is preferred and must be current on all their vaccinations including distemper, kennel cough and rabies. She will not accept home vaccinations. Clients sign a release for Koors to take their pet in for treatment should she determine they need to be seen by a veterinarian.

While Koors is willing to work with dogs of any age, she requires puppies to at least have begun potty or crate training. She will work with them to reinforce the training while they are at camp.

While Koors is not a certified trainer, she has worked with dogs for so many years that she can work on leash manners and obedience. Koors said that when a new dog comes the dogs do work out a pecking order, but she has never had a dogfight. "I'm the leader of the pack," said Koors.

At camp, dogs can expect to go swimming and fishing the Swan River on the Koors property, go for long walks and get to socialize with other dogs. Koors does require the dogs to be able to be inside on their own for up to four hours. She offers a good quality diet and each dog receives individual attention.

"They become our pets. The dogs love it and they go home tired," said Koors. If they get to be on the couch at home, they can be on it at her place. Koors said that Rick often gets relegated to the couch while she and the dogs pile into bed.

Koors only boards dogs at her home. She will do house visits for every kind of pet from turtles to horses and can do pet transports if a customer requests it. She requires house visits if the dogs do not get along with her dogs.

Because their location is remote, Koors often has clients drop their dogs off for the Fourth of July and during the holidays. She recommends booking well in advance for holidays.

In the future, Koors plans to build a fence for her yard so she can have the dogs outside without her. Right now, the dogs go with her wherever she is. She also would like to offer a grooming service and some retail items including high quality dog food.

"This is a dream come true for me," said Koors. "It is a service that is needed in the Swan. My goal is to have happy dogs and clients that are happy to drop off their dogs."

For more information or to set up an appointment visit http://www.unleashedintheswan.com, call 406-754-2593 or email kathleenkoors@blackfoot.net. Unleashed in the Swan can also be found in the Pathfinder Service Directory