Two years ago, if you had asked any of us if we could see ourselves in the Pet Daycare and Boarding business, we all would have replied, “Seriously?” But as avid dog lovers, it really is no surprise that we found ourselves in this industry.

BamPaws Stay and Play® is a partnership between family members, Greg and Lesley Flaks and David and Laurinda Flaks. We should also mention other influential family members in this endeavor, our dogs — Sophie, Suki, Cooper, Ryder, and Abbey. BamPaws Stay and Play®  was born out of a need in our own family for quality daycare for these four-legged family members. With five dogs between our two families, the need for daycare and boarding was evident. We have used many different facilities in Colorado Springs and Scottsdale, Arizona; and while each place was adequate, there always seemed to be something missing.

What really put our idea in motion was when we had to board the newest member of our family, Abbey. She is a toy poodle that we rescued at a year old.  We had just gotten her and she hadn’t yet bonded into our family of two Standard Poodles, Cooper and Ryder. We had dropped her off at a large daycare and boarding facility at closing time. Most of the staff were getting ready to leave when I asked if someone was there overnight. The young lady checking us in stated, “No, but we are monitored.” I asked, “What if there is an emergency?” She replied, “That is a good question,” and my question to her was, “What is a good answer?” Her answer was, “I don’t know.” As we were leaving, I said to David, “We could do such a better job.”

As our conversation turned to the planning stage, we called our parents Greg and Lesley and pitched our idea. At first, they were not too excited about our proposal. We asked that they visit and tour some upscale facilities in Scottsdale. As is their nature, they took their task very seriously when researching various locations. After that, they were not only excited but also on board to start this new venture. We were fortunate to have a family owned building located downtown at 815 S Sierra Madre Street which was properly zoned for this type of business.

We get asked all the time where the name BamPaws came from. After learning an expensive lesson in trademark registration, we had to find a unique name that had never been registered before. After submitting thirty plus names with no luck, David said, “What about BamPaws?”  David grew up calling his grandfather, Stanley Flaks, “Bampa.” Stanley and his wife, Regina, had built this warehouse and office building in 1972 that housed a family wholesale distribution business. As a tribute to Stan, and the opportunity to continue business in his building, it seemed only fitting.

Our standard is high touch personal care. We adore animals and consider them like our own family members. Our team makes certain every dog or cat enjoy a safe, happy, and enjoyable stay. BamPaws Stay and Play®  is attended twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week in our boarding kennels. We offer three standard size kennels– 32, 48 and 64 square feet. Our facility also has 10 private luxury suites in three sizes – 60, 80, and 144 square feet. We don’t believe that one size fits all. All boarding includes daycare and personal walks with an attendant if requested.

Our attendants are trained in dog behavior and group play. They are required to engage, interact, and monitor all dogs in their group. We have quiet time from 12:00 to 2:00. The lights are turned off, soothing music is played, and the dogs settle into an afternoon rest period. Our family does not believe in warehousing dogs in crates. For grooming appointments, each dog has a reserved, individual grooming session.

While we do not take in the most pets in the area, BamPaws Stay and Play® does have the largest square footage of any facility in Colorado Springs.  Therefore, your best friend has more room to play and make new friends.