green acres kennel shop

What green acres kennel shop does

Green Acres Kennel Shop is a single-location pet care services business based in Bangor, Maine, providing boarding, daycare, grooming, training, and pet food/supply retail for dogs and cats. The business traces its operations to 1965 and has been under the continuous ownership of Don and Paula Hanson since 1995. Its service model is built around a force-free, fear-free, pain-free care philosophy, with the operation voluntarily compliant with Pet Professional Guild (PPG) standards and aligned with AAHA guidelines — a positioning that differentiates it from competitors using traditional aversive techniques. Don Hanson holds multiple professional credentials (PCBC-A, CPDT-KA, BFRAP, CDBC), which anchor the training and behavior services professionally.

The business generates revenue through several service streams: per-visit fees for boarding and daycare, transactional grooming services, retail sales of premium pet foods and supplies, and group/individual training class enrollment. It is a direct-to-consumer operation with no e-commerce platform and no enterprise accounts; all customers are individual pet owners in the Bangor region, with several multi-year client relationships cited (e.g., households of 20+ years). Go-to-market relies on sustained local reputation, consistent regional "best of" recognition over 20+ years, educational content marketing, and active community involvement. Auxiliary assets — including a long-running weekly podcast ("The Woof Meow Show"), an active blog, and a sub-brand platform (ForceFreePets.com) — extend the business's reach beyond its four walls and reinforce its force-free positioning.

Growth posture is conservative: there is no geographic expansion, no additional physical locations, no funding or M&A activity disclosed, and limited evidence of hiring for scale. Strategic activity in recent years has been confined to content ecosystem development and targeted partnerships — including relationships with All Creatures Acupuncture for cross-referrals and with The Green Gem Holistic Healing Oasis for Holistic Wellness Day events — rather than expansion of the core services. The business is best characterized as a mature, locally dominant, full-service pet care operation with deep community embeddedness but limited expansion trajectory.

Name

green acres kennel shop

Legal name

Green Acres Kennel Shop

Website

https://greenacreskennel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Green Acres Kennel Shop is a Bangor, Maine single-location pet care business offering boarding, daycare, grooming, training, and pet food/supply retail to local dog and cat owners under a force-free care philosophy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Care Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)

akta.pro primary industry

Overnight Kennel Boarding (Dogs) (HSANADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mixed-Species Boarding Kennel (Dogs & Cats) (HSANADAC), Pet Services (Grooming, Training, Daycare) (CRALAIAJ), Small Animal Supplies Retail (Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters) (CRALAHAL)

Keywords

• Pet boarding services
• Dog daycare programs
• Pet grooming services
• Dog training classes
• Pet food retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Boarding Services: Pet boarding services for dogs and cats of all breeds, ages, and sizes. The company has been voted Bangor region's Best Kennel every year since 2002.
2. Daycare Services: Dog daycare services including regular daycare and a special Puppy Daycare program for puppies eight weeks to 6 months of age. Voted top 10 in New England in 2020-2023.
3. Professional Grooming: Full-service pet grooming including full groom, bath, nail trims, nail grinding, sanitary clip, feet & pad trimming, flea shampoo, specialty shampoos, and deskunking. Voted region's Best Groomer every year since 2013.
4. Pet Food & Supplies Retail: Over 20 brands of wholesome, nutritious pet foods and a wide variety of supplies for cats and dogs. Open seven days per week. Includes frequent buyer and rewards programs.
5. Pet Training & Client Education: Dog training classes, behavior consultations for dogs and cats, and educational programs provided by ForceFreePets.com. Classes for dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes. Special Puppy Headstart-ONLINE class available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Green Acres Kennel Shop is a full-service pet care facility offering overnight boarding and daycare for dogs and cats, professional grooming, dog training classes and behavior consultations, and a retail store with over 20 brands of pet food and supplies. Services are delivered at a single physical location in Bangor, Maine, following a force-free, science-based care philosophy.

Product overview

Green Acres Kennel Shop is a locally-owned, full-service pet care facility offering a comprehensive portfolio of services for dogs and cats. The core offerings include pet boarding, daycare, grooming, and a retail pet food and supplies store. Pet training and behavior consultations are provided through the affiliated ForceFreePets.com platform, which offers dog training classes (Puppy Headstart-ONLINE, Basic Manners, obedience courses) and behavior consultations. The company emphasizes a pet-friendly, force-free, fear-free, and pain-free approach to care, compliant with Pet Professional Guild and Pet Industry Advocacy International standards. Additional offerings include a customer rewards program and The Woof Meow Show podcast for pet education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ForceFreePets.com: Pet training and client education services operated by Don Hanson, offering dog training classes, behavior consultations for dogs and cats, and educational programs for pet owners.

Products and services

• Pet Boarding Overnight and extended-stay accommodation for dogs and cats of all breeds, sizes, and ages, with pet-friendly, force-free care. Guests must be comfortable in care, current on vaccinations, and not require constant medical observation. Voted Bangor region's Best Kennel every year since 2002.
• Pet Daycare Daytime care for dogs including a special Puppy Daycare program for puppies eight weeks to six months of age enrolled in or having completed the Puppy Headstart-ONLINE class. Voted top 10 in New England 2020-2023.
• Pet Grooming Professional dog grooming services including full groom, bath, nail trims, nail grinding, sanitary clip, feet and pad trimming, flea shampoo, specialty shampoo, and deskunking for all breeds and sizes. Voted Bangor region's Best Groomer every year since 2013.
• Pet Food and Supplies Retail Retail store offering over 20 brands of wholesome, nutritious pet foods and a wide variety of supplies for cats and dogs, with frequent buyer and rewards programs. Open seven days per week. Voted Bangor region's Best Pet Store every year since 2007.
• Pet Training and Client Education Dog training classes for all breeds and ages including Puppy Headstart, Basic Manners, and Level 2 obedience courses, plus behavior consultations for dogs and cats and educational programs. Taught with compassion, kindness, and positive reinforcement through ForceFreePets.com. Voted Bangor region's Best Dog Trainer every year since 2002.

Quantifiable outcome

• Voted Bangor region's Best Kennel every year for over 20 consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ForceFreePets.comcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForceFreePets.com, owned by Don Hanson (co-owner of Green Acres), provides dog training classes, behavior consultations for dogs and cats, and educational programs. Green Acres refers customers to ForceFreePets.com for training services. Training classes are for dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes, with special Puppy Headstart-ONLINE class.
• Pet Professional Guild (PPG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Acres complies with and exceeds the standards set in the Position Statements of The Pet Professional Guild. The PPG is an international organization establishing standards for humane pet care and ethics.
• Pet Industry Advocacy InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Acres proudly complies with international standards for humane pet care and ethics established by Pet Industry Advocacy International.
• All Creatures Acupuncture (Dr. Michael Munzer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Michael Munzer from All Creatures Acupuncture in Bucksport, ME provides holistic veterinary services including acupuncture and chiropractic care. Green Acres refers customers seeking complementary medicine options. Podcasts featuring Dr. Munzer appear on the Green Acres blog.
• The Green Gem Holistic Healing OasisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Acres partnered with The Green Gem Holistic Healing Oasis in Bangor to host Holistic Wellness Day for Pets events featuring seminars on holistic pet care.
• Eastern Area Agency on Aging - Furry Friends Food BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGreen Acres conducted fundraising efforts for the Eastern Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank, asking customers for donations during purchases.
• Various Pet Food ManufacturersminorOthersGreen Acres offers over 20 brands of pet food including products from Wysong, Bravo Pet Foods, Steve's Real Food, Vital Essentials, and others. No formal partnership agreements indicated - standard wholesale purchasing relationship.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PetSuites of America: Boutique pet resort chain offering boarding, daycare, grooming, and training. Comparable full-service pet care concept targeting similar premium pet-owner customers.
• Central Pet (Central Bark): Franchised dog daycare, boarding, and spa services. Comparable service mix and franchise-based growth model that contrasts with Green Acres' independent single-site structure.
• Dogtopia: National dog daycare franchise with boarding and spa services. Closest direct comparable in the daycare-forward pet care segment that Green Acres competes in.
• Best Friends Pet Hotel: Full-service pet resort offering boarding, daycare, grooming, and training across multiple locations. Directly comparable service mix to Green Acres, but at significantly larger geographic scale.
• Wag Hotels: Premium pet boarding, daycare, grooming, and training facility. Closely comparable premium positioning and full-service model, though primarily West Coast footprint.
• Camp Bow Wow: Multi-site dog daycare, boarding, and grooming franchise. Directly comparable in core service offering (daycare + boarding + grooming) but operates a franchise model that Green Acres does not, illustrating a potential scale pathway.
• Destination Pet: Multi-brand pet care platform combining boarding, daycare, grooming, training, and retail. Comparable multi-service model and a relevant example of how independent kennels have been consolidated.

Broad incumbents

• Pet Supplies Plus: National pet supplies retailer that overlaps with Green Acres' retail product line (food, supplies) and increasingly adds grooming and services adjacent to Green Acres' offering.
• PetSmart PetsHotel: In-store boarding and daycare offered by PetSmart. Broad incumbent in the pet care space; overlaps with Green Acres' boarding and daycare offerings but is bundled with a national retail operation.

Regional players

• Healthy Spot: Premium pet retail, grooming, daycare, and self-wash concept operating primarily on the West Coast. Comparable premium positioning and convergence of retail plus services, but different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenAcresKennelShop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-acres-kennel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 green acres kennel shop