About Us
At Gone Dog, we provide calm, loving, enrichment-based care for dogs who deserve more than the chaos of traditional boarding. Our home is a peaceful, low-stimulation environment where every pup can relax, decompress, and feel truly at ease — like staying with their cool, dog-savvy auntie, not a crowded kennel.
We believe in quality over quantity, which is why we welcome one household at a time for boarding, daycare, and walks. This allows us to give each dog (or pair of dogs) our full attention, presence, and care without distractions, overstimulation, or unpredictable pack dynamics. Your dog becomes part of our daily rhythm — not one face in a crowd.
Our care style is rooted in intuition, structure, and a deep respect for the emotional lives of animals. We follow the dog’s pace, honor their needs, and create an environment that supports nervous system regulation, comfort, and connection. From enrichment activities and nature time to cuddles, quiet rest, and gentle routines, we tailor every moment to your dog’s unique personality.
We share our home with our own two dogs, Olive and Onion, who help set the calm, grounded energy we’re known for. Olive can be sensitive to unexpected visitors, which is why we maintain strict arrival protocols to keep the environment safe and predictable for everyone. Onion is our gentle giant and emotional support marshmallow, offering soft companionship to visiting pups when appropriate.
Whether your dog is here for a single day or a full week, they’ll enjoy:
personalized, one-on-one care
a fully fenced yard for safe exploring
enrichment tailored to their needs
cozy rest spots and calm indoor spaces
zero crates, zero chaos, zero overcrowding
peaceful routines that help them settle and thrive
Our goal is simple: to make your dog feel safe, loved, understood, and at home — even when home is a little farther away.
And to give you complete peace of mind knowing your best friend is in capable, devoted hands.
🐾 Emily & Ken
Small Business Owners • Pet Parents • Care Providers
Gone Dog is a family-run, heart-led pet care business built on intuition, structure, and a deep love for animals. Emily and Ken work together to create a calm, safe, enrichment-focused environment where dogs can relax, decompress, and be truly understood.
Emily
With 20+ years of hands-on experience, Emily is the primary caregiver and the intuitive heart of Gone Dog. She specializes in reading dog body language, understanding emotional needs, and creating personalized care plans for dogs who thrive in a predictable, low-stimulation home environment.
Emily adapts to each dog’s personality — whether that means structured enrichment, regulated routines, sensory play, care for anxious or sensitive pups, or providing the calm grounding energy so many dogs need. Her AuDHD brain is laser-focused on animals, which is why she often jokes that she communicates better with dogs than with people (and it’s true).
Ken
Ken, co-owner and Army veteran, brings patience, consistency, and the best belly rubs in the business. He supports daily routines, provides extra enrichment and companionship, and helps keep the environment structured and regulated. He’s especially good with the big dogs, shy dogs, and pups who need a steady, gentle presence.
Together, Emily and Ken have created a one-household-at-a-time, crate-free sanctuary designed to help dogs feel emotionally safe, relaxed, and deeply cared for.
🐕 Olive
Chief Chaos Coordinator
Olive is our beloved Border Collie mix — energetic, brilliant, dramatic, affectionate, reactive, and absolutely full of personality. She is not calm and gentle (and we adore her). She loves zoomies, barking at mysterious ghosts only she can see, and telling the entire neighborhood when someone is approaching “her” yard.
She struggles when people enter the yard or walk up unexpectedly, which is why our gate protocol exists — it keeps Olive regulated and keeps the environment peaceful for everyone. Once she feels safe, Olive is playful, silly, and incredibly loyal.
Olive won’t be interacting with visiting dogs unless it’s appropriate and safe, and we always prioritize a calm, controlled environment.
She is the spark of Gone Dog, bringing laughter, clever mischief, and high-speed entertainment to our daily rhythm.
🐾 Onion
Chief Comfort Officer
Onion is our giant, gentle Mastiff mix — soft-hearted, sweet-natured, respectful, and deeply intuitive. He brings a grounded, calming presence to our home and is incredibly gentle with visiting dogs. He loves company, cozy spots, slow mornings, and staying close to his humans.
Unlike Olive, Onion is rarely overstimulated, making him the emotional comfort marshmallow of our household. He’s our big mush, our bedtime snuggler, and our resident “it’s okay… relax… everything is fine” energy.
He helps set the tone for the calm, regulated environment that Gone Dog is known for.
