By ISABELLA CROWLEY • The Observer

LA GRANDE — As cars and trucks pull up the long driveway to Countryside Kennels, 62616 Fruitdale Lane, Peggy Case already knows which furry pet will emerge. She greets her regulars — both human and canine — by name.

Toward the end of last year, Case was looking for a change and, as it happened, so was the previous owner of Countryside Kennels. She started training at the boarding facility in October 2021 and officially purchased the business in December of that year, she said.

“I always had dogs all my life. I’m a huge animal lover, so it was a natural thing for me,” Case said.

Case is no stranger to running a business. Prior to running Countryside Kennels she owned and operated two coffee shops, including 2 Broke Girls Coffee Time in Island City.

For the dogs, it’s all about routine, Case said. Surrounding the main building is an extensive network of fenced-in yards, where the pups get to run around and play four times a day. They are fed twice a day. For dietary reasons, Case recommends owners bring their pet’s food along with them to the kennel, but she will provide food for an additional $1 per day per pet if needed.

According to Case she has not had to make many business changes. Countryside Kennels was already a well established and respected business.

“There was no reason to make business changes,” she said.

In addition to Case, there are nine part-time employees who help out at the kennel — two college students and seven high schoolers. The two college-age employees predate the change in ownership, but Case brought on the high school students. She provides a lot of training and really strives to be a role model for all of the students.

“We have a great group, a great staff. I adore them all,” Case said. “We all get along great.”

The employees love yard time with the dogs as much as the pups do. Many of them are also student athletes and can keep up with the most energetic of the dogs.

“The staff takes great care of the animals,” Case said.

She has made some aesthetic upgrades, such as a new paint job for the building. A new coat of paint inside the kennels is on the to-do list.

Case also plans to install cameras in the kennel, so that owners can look in on their pets throughout the day or when away from home on longer trips.

“People who bring their pets here know what we are about,” Case said.

Countryside Kennels welcomes all furry friends — including cats. All pets boarded at the kennel must be up-to-date and have proof of vaccination.

Pet registration and boarding reservations can be booked online at Countryside Kennels’ new website, www.countrysidekennels-lg.com.

Reservations can also be made by phone, but there is a 24-hour turnaround time on phone calls. The landline phone is set not to ring in the kennel as the noise disturbs and tends to rile up the dogs, said Peggy Case, who owns and operates the kennel.