Buying a pet resort in 2017 was a dream come true for animal lovers Debbie and Ed Voyer. The couple had always wanted to work with dogs full time and Debbie worked weekends at various kennels and trained in grooming in her spare time over 12 years to find the best fit.
Finishing up their careers working private sector and government jobs to buy New Inn Kennels in East Haddam was just the life they were looking for. The kennels were well known as being a clean, safe and happy place for dogs, and had been renovated by the previous owners.
In buying the business, the Voyers continued the tradition of family business ownership at New Inn Kennels, which was originally established in 1977. They are grateful for the dedication and solid foundation laid before them, while bringing in some improvements.
“When we took over the kennels, we changed a few things,” Debbie says. “The previous owners kept the place very clean. We added staff to take the dogs outside 4 times a day for potty breaks. It was an additional cost to employ extra staff to do that, but we noticed the dogs seemed a lot happier after we made that change.”
Another key change was adding a group play option for daycare, an area with climbable rocks, sandboxes, water play in summer and plenty of games for mental stimulation. “Not all dogs like group play so we offered different options for them, but the ones who did really enjoyed getting to play together with other dogs. It was kind of like camp for them.”
After making these changes, as well as training their daycare attendants in dog emotions, dog language and play styles, Debbie and Ed seldom saw a dog back away when the owner dropped it off. Adding a separate cat room with two-level cat condos completed the resort’s services. Running New Inn Kennels was a very positive experience for the Voyers, even though it was a lot of hard work. “We really enjoyed it and got very attached to the dogs who would come in regularly.
There were challenges but I think it has made me a more patient person and more empathetic to the needs of employees.” Debbie says. Living on the property was a bonus too. However, covid brought changes. With staffing issues having increased during and after covid, the Voyers found themselves having to fill many more shifts than they wanted to.
The Voyers originally had a 10-year plan for the business but started thinking about selling a lot earlier. “We decided it was time to look at selling, especially since we had heard it might take one to two years,” Debbie recalls.
The couple reached out to Teija Heikkila, of PET VET M&A, Sales & Advisory, who was the broker involved when they bought the resort originally.
“There was never any doubt that we would ask Teija to help us sell it,” Debbie says.
“She was so professional and knowledgeable when we bought the resort, we knew she was the only real choice for us.”
But over the seven years the Voyers had owned the pet resort, they had noticed Teija’s own brokerage business had grown a lot. “We were just hoping our family-owned business was not too small to qualify to become her client.”
Teija was more than happy to see them again and jumped right in to appraise the business and coach Debbie and Ed on how to prepare the property and financials for a transaction.
“When we bought the business, Teija had been so helpful to us even though she was working for the seller. She was so organized and professional and knew the industry inside and out. When we came to sell, it was just as great. She took us under her wing and guided us through the whole process. And the business actually ended up selling much more quickly than we thought.”
The Voyers believe they would not have been able to sell if it wasn’t for Teija’s expertise, knowledge of the pet resort industry, and her network to find just the right buyer. Her track record gave them confidence that they had gotten the best possible price.
Having closed the sale in July 2024, the newly retired couple have plans to travel and enjoy their leisure time together. They have left New Inn Kennels in good hands with the new owners – also private family business owners like themselves – whom Debbie describes as a couple who “love dogs, are a bit younger than us and with a lot more energy.”
ABOUT THE BUSINESS
Location: East Haddam, CT
Purchased in 2017
Owned for 7 years
Services provided: Boarding, Daycare, Grooming
1 building and 1 residence, 9,000+ SF combined on ~22 acres
66 enclosures with 100+ dog capacity
9 full and part-time staff
The Voyers originally had a 10-year plan for the business but started thinking about selling a lot earlier. “We decided it was time to look at selling, especially since we had heard it might take one to two years,” Debbie recalls.
The couple reached out to Teija Heikkila, of PET VET M&A, Sales & Advisory, who was the broker involved when they bought the resort originally.
“There was never any doubt that we would ask Teija to help us sell it,” Debbie says.
“She was so professional and knowledgeable when we bought the resort, we knew she was the only real choice for us.”
The Voyers believe they would not have been able to sell if it wasn’t for Teija’s expertise, knowledge of the pet resort industry, and her network to find just the right buyer. Her track record gave them confidence that they had gotten the best possible price. Having closed the sale in July 2024, the newly retired couple have plans to travel and enjoy their leisure time together. They have left New Inn Kennels in good hands with the new owners – also private family business owners like themselves – whom Debbie describes as a couple who “love dogs, are a bit younger than us and with a lot more energy.”
