Sunday Small Business Spotlight: Snake River Four Paws

LEWISTON –  At first glance, passersby might assume that the cross fenced and gated property with multiple outbuildings is another equine facility, but these buildings cater to a smaller species…those of the canine variety. In 2019, Cassie Frary opened Snake River Four Paws, a doggy daycare, boarding, training, and event center for dogs on Tammany Creek Road in Lewiston, Idaho.

Going on six years since opening it’s doors, Snake River Four Paws offers a wide variety of services and events all centered around its furry, wet nosed, four legged clientele; from short term boarding to it’s own AKC Agility team. “We offer full-range boarding kennels, so short-term, long-term care boarding, doggie daycare Monday through Thursday during the week. We offer a variety of training services; everything from puppy head start where they can come immediately from the breeder or from whoever they’re coming from, all the way up through advanced obedience, competition obedience, a full array of agility training as well. All the way from puppy agility all the way through competition. We also have a competition team that’s part of our Snake River Four Paws family. Where everyone kind of travels together throughout the season each year and competes in agility competitions through AKC.”

Through out the year, Snake River Four Paws holds agility fun days in its 4,000 square foot, climate controlled arena, set it up like a mock competition for people and dogs to get the exposure to get the idea of what it’s like, complete with fun prizes. When not set for agility fun days, the arena provides a year round place for training and for local 4H groups meet up. 

Dogs have always been a part of Cassie’s life. She describes taking an immediate love of animals ever since she could form words and know what they were. Her first very first training adventure was when she was about 12, when she got the opportunity to work with a trainer for that summer. After that Cassie got into 4-H and started doing dog agility at the age of 14.The knowledge she gained in her younger years helped her in building her business today. “I just kind of started soaking up everything I could learn. I worked with a hunting trainer,  agility trainers, obedience trainers. I even worked with a sled dog trainer one time. Just to soak up everything that I could soak up as far as different disciplines, and how to work with dogs and different kinds of dogs. I learned at a very young age that a dog is not just a dog, but a breed makes a difference.” 

Prior to opening her business, Cassie worked in the administrative side of the human medical field, staying within the industry she watched her father work in growing up. “My dad was a hospital and medical clinic administrator.  He basically went where the job was. He was well known for coming in and taking over a facility in turmoil and turning it around.”

Her father’s job took her family all over the Pacific Northwest,. California, and Texas. They moved to the LC Valley in 1996, and Cassie has considered it home ever since. When asked what about what made the LC Valley special to her, she says its the sense of community.  “I have lived in a lot of different places, and even in the dog world, you don’t get the kind of community that we have here. As far as support system and the positive engagement with people around you. So that’s really kind of unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been.”

Seeing a shift in the medical industry, from what she describes as, ‘heading away from patient care and more about the bottom line’, she decided it was time to follow her passions and change careers.  “I took about four or five months off and just really reflected. I have worked with dogs most of my life and it’s kind of been that little thing in the back of my mind that I’ve wanted to do for a really long time. I just thought why not now? I just gave it a whirl and it kind of took off beyond my wildest imagination.”

Cassie says her favorite part of the business is the relationships she made, both with people and dogs. The connections with people and the friendships that started as a result of the business is “really priceless”. She enjoys working with her personal dogs and giving back to the community, volunteering for Lewis County Search and Rescue with her dog Jack Jack, whom is an AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and NSDA Nationally Certified in Wilderness Area Live and Cadaver. Her personal pack includes three other working dogs; Petra who is certified for Article/Evidence Recovery, Narcotics detection and is training for Tracking; Sitka who is currently training for tracking/trailing, and Freyja who is currently training to become a Narcotics/Firearms detection K9; and Onor who is her IGP sport dog.

Through Cassie’s dedication, commitment, and hard work, Snake River Four Paws truly is one of the LC Valley’s hidden gems for dog lovers. Snake River Four Paws offers discounts for multiple dogs, newly adopted dogs, and first responder and veteran discounts. For more information visit their website at https://www.snakeriver4paws.com, find them on Facebook, text (208)791-0021 or email [email protected].

***If you own or know of a local small business that you would like to see in our Sunday Small Business Spotlight, reach out to us by email at [email protected]

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