kim's k-9

What kim's k-9 does

Kim's K-9 is a family-owned dog training, boarding, and daycare facility founded in 1987 by Kim Steffes and currently operated by Martha Wiltse and her family after an ownership transition in 2021. The single facility is located at 3108 Broadmoor Ave SE in Kentwood, Michigan, and serves pet owners across the greater Grand Rapids and West Michigan area. The company offers three core service lines: interactive group boarding ($52/night, up to $57 during peak holidays), private suite boarding ($89/night) for dogs unsuited to group play, and daycare ($36/day), supplemented by a structured training portfolio that includes Puppy Kindergarten (6-week group class), Adult Dog Bootcamp (4-week board-and-train), Adult Dog Day Training (3-week), Private Training (6 sessions), and a $125 initial assessment.

The underlying methodology is grounded in LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) canine psychology principles established by the International Association of Canine Professionals, with LIMA-certified trainers and a BA-credentialed owner-operator. Operational architecture includes four size- and energy-segmented play rooms (Rowdy Rompers, Mighty Mediums, Balance Buddies, Tiny Tots) housing 8 play groups, supported by enrichment programming such as Fitpaws courses, nose work, and confidence courses, plus a separate Private Puppy Playground for dogs under 6 months. The technology stack is operational rather than AI-driven: a Gingr-based booking and CRM platform with proprietary iOS and Android apps for self-serve reservation and account management.

Revenue mechanics combine transactional unit pricing (daycare $36/day, boarding $52-$89/night, training assessments $125) with subscription and loyalty levers including the VIP monthly program ($50-$56/month), the Pooch Pass prepaid discount (buy 10 get 1 free), and the Kim's Family Discount ($32/day daycare for training graduates) that creates cross-sell lock-in. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer at the Kentwood facility, supported by content marketing, organic social (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram), and word-of-mouth referrals. The business is privately held with no institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

kim's k-9

Legal name

Kim's K-9

Website

https://kimsk9.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kim's K-9 is a family-owned, single-facility dog training, boarding, and daycare business in Kentwood, Michigan, serving West Michigan pet owners since 1987 using LIMA-certified canine psychology methodology across daycare, boarding, and structured training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Boarding Services: Overnight dog boarding with standard interactive boarding ($52/night) and private suite boarding ($89/night). Peak holiday rates apply at $57/night. Includes supervised play, rest time, enrichment activities, and meals.
2. Daycare Services: Daily dog daycare at $36/day (or $32/day with Kim's Family Discount for trained dogs). Includes supervised play, rest time, and enrichment.
3. Training Programs: Multiple training programs including Puppy Kindergarten (group classes), Puppy Preschool (one-hour consultation), Adult Bootcamp (4-week boarding program), Day Training (3-week program), and Private Training (6 one-hour sessions). Initial assessment costs $125.
4. VIP Subscription Program: Monthly subscription at $50-56/month offering priority reservations, daily report cards, monthly themed portraits, $5 off baths, permanent leash cubby, special snacks, and automatic top waitlist spot.
5. Add-On Services: Additional fee services including baths ($16), PAWty Bus adventures, Fit Paws Stimulation Course, Confidence Course, Nose Work, Continued Education, report cards, and holiday-themed activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kim's K-9 is a family-owned dog training and boarding facility operating in Kentwood, Michigan, serving the greater Grand Rapids area. The company provides overnight boarding (interactive group play and private solo suites), daily dog daycare, and a range of training programs including Puppy Kindergarten, Puppy Preschool, Adult Dog Bootcamp, Adult Dog Day Training, and Private Training. Services are grounded in LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) canine psychology-based training principles.

Product overview

Kim's K-9 is a family-owned dog training and boarding facility offering a comprehensive suite of services built around canine psychology and LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) training principles. The core offerings include Interactive Boarding with group play, Private Boarding (Solo Suite) for enrichment-based solo stays, Daycare with supervised group play, and a Private Puppy Playground for puppies under 6 months. Training programs span Puppy Preschool (one-hour consultation), Puppy Kindergarten (6-week group class for 12-18 week puppies), Adult Dog Bootcamp (4-week board-and-train), Adult Dog Day Training (3-week program with dogs going home nightly), and Private Training (6 one-on-one sessions). Add-on services include a VIP subscription program, Pooch Pass discount program, enrichment add-ons (Fit Paws, Confidence Course, Nose Work), holiday special programs, and a proprietary mobile app for booking and client management. All programs emphasize real-world skills over tricks, and graduates receive the Kim's K-9 Family Discount on daycare and training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interactive Boarding

Quantifiable outcome

• Dogs trained in practical skills (sit, down, wait, stay, heel, recall, leave it) rather than tricks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Best Friends Pet Hotel: Pet hotel chain offering daycare, boarding, grooming, and training across multiple U.S. markets. Directly comparable service suite to Kim's K-9 including overnight boarding with supervised play.
• K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel: Premium dog daycare, boarding, and spa franchise positioned on luxury accommodations and supervised group play. Closest comparable to Kim's K-9's Private Suite Boarding and enrichment-led positioning.
• Camp Bow Wow: National dog daycare, boarding, and training franchise with hundreds of locations. Directly comparable to Kim's K-9 on core service mix (daycare, boarding, training) and target customer (pet owners); key difference is franchise scale vs Kim's single independent location.
• PetSuites: Multi-location pet resort offering dog daycare, boarding, grooming, and training. Directly comparable service mix to Kim's K-9, including group-play daycare and structured rest periods.
• Pet Paradise: Pet resort with daycare, boarding, grooming, and veterinary services across multiple states. Comparable to Kim's K-9 on boarding/daycare core, with broader amenity stack including vet.
• Dogtopia: National dog daycare, boarding, and spa franchise. Directly competes in the same three core services, with similar open-play group model and web/app booking. Operates at much larger scale than Kim's K-9 but offers the closest product overlap.
• Wag Hotels: Premium dog daycare and overnight boarding facility in California with multiple locations. Closest comparable to Kim's K-9's Private Suite Boarding tier in positioning around enrichment and supervised play.
• The Dog Stop: Franchise offering dog daycare, boarding, grooming, and training with retail. Comparable to Kim's K-9 on full-service daycare/boarding/training offering, with broader footprint but similar independent-operator feel.

Others

• Rover: Online marketplace connecting pet owners with in-home dog boarding, daycare, and walking providers. Adjacent to Kim's K-9's boarding/daycare offering but uses a marketplace model rather than operating its own facility, so competes for share-of-wallet without competing as a facility operator.

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart: National pet retail chain that operates in-store Doggie Day Camp and offers training classes (via PetSmart Charities partners). Overlaps with Kim's K-9 on daycare and training, but as part of a much broader retail and services portfolio rather than a focused pet-care operator.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KimsK9
• Instagraminstagram.com/kimsk9trainingcenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@kimsk9
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kim-s-k-9

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about kim's k-9