Lee — A shortage of local dog and cat boarding facilities in the Berkshires is about to worsen after Love Us and Leave Us dog vacations/daycare shutters in Lee at the end of the month.
Founded by Renee DeRagon, the business began in 2006, as a dog-walking and home-pet-sitter service before the entrepreneur opened the Pittsfield facility at 1525 West Housatonic Street in 2012. Fast forward to 2021, and the company added a second location at 915 Pleasant Street in Lee, accepting dogs, cats, small animals, and birds.
DeRagon cited staffing issues among other personal life-changing events, including a divorce and home sale, as the impetus for the closure. “We are very busy here,” she said of the Lee site. “We have a lot of customers, but it’s really hard to find reliable staff these days.
Harboring another business, The Burrow gift shop, the Lanesborough resident had a lot on her plate. DeRagon said her commute to Lee took almost 40 minutes and the change was needed “to simplify things in life.” With the closure, she will be able to concentrate more on the Pittsfield location that is expected to potentially be replaced by a new facility in the future. According to DeRagon, that building was constructed in the late 1800s, and given the Lee site ending, she expects the Pittsfield facility will gain some traffic.
Cat boarding will now be offered in Pittsfield, as will the business’s grooming services. The Lee site manager owns the retail store with DeRagon and will maintain that partnership, with some of the Lee location’s few employees relocating to the Pittsfield facility.
The Lee location will continue its boarding reservations through Labor Day, and if the dogs do well in the Pittsfield location after passing a trial run, those Lee reservations can transfer to Pittsfield. “Our biggest concern is to make sure the dogs enjoy being there [in Pittsfield] and feel comfortable,” DeRagon said.
The Lee property, owned by DeRagon, is listed for sale, and she said she hopes another boarding and care facility will take up residence within its walls. “We really love our customers here and what we built here,” DeRagon said. “It’s really sad to leave, but I’m just really hopeful that somebody’s going to continue on and be able to serve these customers still because there isn’t a ton of boarding options in South County.”
