Exploring Life & Business with Amanda Plataniotis of Lil Dog Ranch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Plataniotis.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My husband/business partner and I are animal lovers, we have had cats and dogs for years and also have been fostering dogs for a few years. We happened upon the opportunity of a lifetime when we met a woman who owned a dog boarding facility located on her property, Lil Dog Ranch, and discovered that she was moving out of state and was planning to close her business. At the time we were not looking to move or change careers, but after realizing that this was something we would likely never encounter again we began discussing what our life could look like living in the countryside and owning this business. Long story short we took a leap of faith, sold our home and moved into the home merely feet away from our new business. We have been here a little over two years and although we never could have imagined this being our life, day in and day out, we absolutely love it. Because of our experience with fostering and rescuing animals, we felt that a career requiring us to love and care for people’s beloved pets would come naturally to us and that we were meant for this. Of course there were many huge lifestyle changes, but what remained constant was our dedication and responsibility for the animals in our care and we wouldn’t change our decision for anything.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The most stressful part of everything was prior to taking over the business. When we met the previous owner she was getting ready to list her property for sale and wanted to move within about a month and a half. So out of nowhere we have this crazy decision to make, one that we were totally not expecting but knew we didn’t have much time to waste. Once my husband and I agreed to see where this would take us, we made offers on the home and business and finally reached an agreement. The mere month we had to learn the day to day operations and plan how we would run the business, all while planning a move (with four resident dogs and fosters, and four cats, I might add) were pretty stressful. But once the transition day was upon us, we grabbed the bull by the horns and just jumped in- and quickly discovered that although our lives would change forever, we loved it. Of course there have been bumps in the road, but nothing we couldn’t overcome, and we are very happy with how we have built the business and our clientele over the past two years.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lil Dog Ranch?
We are a boarding facility that specializes in smaller dogs, around 35 lbs and under. Because we board smaller breed dogs and therefore do not need heavy duty enclosures (chain link, steel doors, etc.) to contain our guests, we feel that our kennels are more like personal rooms and less like cages. Each are built with solid panel walls with pet gates to enter and exit, making it a bit more inviting while still providing safety and privacy for the dogs to rest. Unlike larger scale boarding facilities who often have large numbers of dogs occupying a shared space, we have two separate rooms with only 10 individual kennels in each, which we believe allows for a calmer, quieter environment for relaxation.
Our human clients often appreciate the fact that their dogs will be interacting with other dogs around their size, because although all dogs are wonderful, large and small dogs can have very different play styles.
We are also “special needs” friendly and feel that our set up provides the lower stress environment that a blind, deaf, geriatric, or mobility impaired dog would need to feel most comfortable. We have personal experience with dogs in all of these categories and we understand that they often need extra time and attention to enjoy their stay with us.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We love the small town feel of Urbana, OH. There are so many friendly people and a ton of unique small businesses. Downtown Urbana isn’t huge, but you can easily spend an afternoon perusing the little shops and eateries. Places like this just feel so much safer than large cities. There aren’t as many big businesses and chain stores/restaurants, and people seem to have more consideration and respect for each other because a town like this needs to have a good community support system and successful entrepreneurs to set it apart from other places.
The main downside of living in a smaller town is that you may have to travel out of town to find a specific store or restaurant. Fortunately, you can find many more options within about half an hour, so the travel time isn’t terrible.

Pricing:

• $30 per dog per night

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lildogranch.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lildogranch