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Home Farm Kennels Now Under New Management
Aroostook Republican and News

July 15, 2009
By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer

With summer finally here and vacation dates approaching, we're all ready to grab a few days away, treat ourselves to a change of scenery. But there is that one ( or more) arrangement that mustn't be 'overlooked what to' do with the family pooch or feline.

Vacation plans for humans usually include relaxation, a nap in the sun, a nice air condition room,
fine dining, maybe even some exercise and a show or a concert. Well, don't surmise that your
family pets wouldn't enjoy a little bit of this luxury also. True, one can't always include their pets in
the travel plans but they do need to be placed somewhere safe.

Of course cats for the most part would just as soon stay home, stretched out on your bed or
couch or that favorite chair pretty much anywhere they know they're not supposed to be. A full
container of water, plenty of dry food, a big clean litter box and they are perfectly happy and oh,
by the way, leave the radio turned to classical music. They will immediately turn their back to
you when you arrive home, but it's just an act. I believe it's called "Cat -attude."

Dogs, of course present a different story all together, not that they wouldn't be happy staying at
home, but the litter box probably wouldn't work. So, when searching for vaca tion lodgings for dogs and cats, area residents most often think of Home Farm' Kennels, a state licensed, inspected and fully
insured facility, known for pro viding individualized care for dogs and cats for more than 30 years.

Located at 186 Old Washburn Rd. in Caribou, the facility features separate boarding and play
areas for large and small dogs, securely fenced outdoor exercise area with multiply exercise sessions each day and is heated and air-conditioned.

Each visiting dog has its own individual indoor/outdoor run, consisting of inside kennel with sleeping/feeding quarters connected to a covered outside kennel; a 'guillotine' door separates the two areas. In warmer weather these doors may be left open allowing dogs to enter and exit at their own leisure, enjoying fresh
air and sunshine. Beyond these private rooms, there is a fenced play yard where guests are taken out individually for exercise and playtime. For safety reasons, dogs are never let out in the play yard together unless from the same household.

Also featuring cat lodgings, felines will relax in roomy individual "kitty condos" and family units are also available. Each carpeted condo unit offers window views, private litter boxes, heat and air-conditioning, Home Farm Kennels also offers, relaxing music played 24 hours a day to help calm guests during their stay and of course what's a vacation without treats.

In April, Home Farm Kennel owners Bob and Caprice Miller sold the established business to Thomas and Kelly Ridenour, who moved here to purchase the business from Wisconsin. The Ridenours and their two daughters Joanna 15 and Susanna 12, have eight years' experience in kennel management, including having run a 72-run boarding facility in Virginia.

Kelly Ridenour is an experienced groomer and ABKA (American Boarding Kennels Association) certified pet care technician. "Joanna and Susanna are the 'heart' of the kennel," stated their father, Thomas', "they
provide loads of TLC and hours of playtime with our guests, it's a struggle to convince them to come inside sometimes in the evening."

Ridenour takes care of maintenance and cleaning the facility, his motto' is, "cleanliness is next to dogliness." Kelly does the feeding and grooming while their daughters make sure no one gets homesick. The new business owners have lived in eight different states and have found people here are the friendliest of anywhere. "Southern hospitality is great but they sure don't have the comer on the market," said Ridenour, "People here are the friendliest."

As for the area, Thomas Ridenour commented that while traveling here, once they got past Bangor on I 95, "All of sudden there was Mt. Katahdin looming in front of us, it was still snow capped of course, it just took our breath away." Having lived for a time in the Shenandoah Valley, Ridenour also mentioned that traveling on Rt. 1, he was amazed to see how similar the lay of the land was, with mountains on one side and fields on the other. "We are really enjoying living in Maine."