Shady Spring Pet Retreat

About Us

Mission Statement

Shady Spring is committed to providing superior pet care while ensuring the health, safety, and enjoyment of your pet, as well as providing first rate customer service.

About Shady Spring

Nestled on 17 acres of beautiful country in Carroll County, MD, Shady Spring Pet Retreat is a premium dog and cat kennel and exotic pet boarding facility!

We offer:

  • Lodging
  • Grooming
  • Training
  • Pet Relocation

Pets can enjoy…

  • Walks through the fields
  • Swims in our pond
  • Personal trainers
  • Kitchen prepared meals
  • Frisbee
  • …and much more!

Why us?

  • Customized services
  • Easy arrangements with a single phone call
  • Drop-off and pick-up (and shuttle service)
  • Responsible, credentialed staff who love animals
  • Services that make pets feel comfortable and relieve the stress of being away from home
  • Extensive pet knowledge to share with you

Shady Spring Pet Retreat provides the following services for pet owners in the Washington, DC/Baltimore region:

  • Lodging for cats and dogs
  • Pet grooming
  • Specialized pet exercise programs
  • Pet pick up and delivery, both local and long distance
  • Retail pet care supply
  • Domestic and international pet relocation

We hope you’ll tour our facilities, talk to our staff and notice all the happy guests yourself. We also hope the next time you take a trip; your pets will vacation with us here at Shady Spring.

Our History

Russell and Mary Saul founded Shady Spring Boarding Kennel in 1954. The Saul’s bred Chow Chows and boarded dogs for clients in the Washington DC area.

In 1973, the dog kennel was sold to Karen Johnson and Paul Carter who expanded the facility. Ms. Johnson offered “Camping”, a pet exercise program, in 1980.

In 1981, the dog kennel was sold to Don Farb and Charlotte Katz. The facilities and services were modernized to better serve clients’ needs.

In 2001, the dog kennel was sold to Dr. Bruce Herwald, VMD – now the current owner. He is a veterinarian with clinics in Washington DC.

Shady Spring has a reputation as a first class pet care business. We provide excellent facilities and innovative services, but most importantly, a quality staff of pet care professionals.

Our New Name

SSPR-Vert-Logo-153180During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the staff and management at Shady Spring came up with exciting long-term goals that widened the range of activities and services. The idea was to promote healthier activities, more convenient services and a cozier “retreat” for pets.

The beginning stages of this long-term goal began to materialize in the spring of 2014. Along with new activity additions and program changes, everyone at Shady Spring also felt that a new name would better describe the business as a whole.

On September 1, 2014, Shady Spring Boarding Kennel and Camp for Dogs changed the name of the business to Shady Spring Pet Retreat.