The Hydrant Hotel, a pet boarding and grooming business, has been purchased by Eva LaMere and Rick Chiorando, President and CEO (respectively) of Austin Williams, a full-service marketing, advertising, digital and public relations agency located in Hauppauge, NY. Financial details of the purchase were not disclosed.
The Hydrant Hotel, a 10,000 sq. ft. facility located at 845 Raynor Avenue in Riverhead, NY, has been a staple of the downtown Riverhead business district since 2015, providing boarding and grooming services for dogs and cats whose owners live, work and vacation on the East End of Long Island.
“This is a true passion project for us, because we just love our pets – specifically our dogs,” said LaMere, a resident of Southampton. “We have rescued our dogs Dixie Doodle and Monty and fostered even more. We felt this was a calling for us to revitalize a business that serves such an important need for pet owners and their four-legged children.”
LaMere also serves as Vice President on the board of Canine Companions Inc., a national non-profit service dog organization which provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice, and educational settings. Canine Companions’ Northeast headquarters is located in Medford, NY.
The day-to-day operations of the business are run by Kerri Ficke and Jessy San Filippo, who will remain in their roles.
“Kerri and Jessy are essential to making sure pets get the exceptional level of care they deserve and putting their owners’ minds at ease when they leave them with us,” said Chiorando. “We plan to give them even more resources and expand the services and amenities for the dogs and cats that think of this as their second home.”
In addition to the indoor facility, The Hydrant offers an outdoor agility course and one acre “nature walk” area where dogs can play and exercise daily. Indoors, an advanced heating and ventilation system with ultraviolet and infrared lighting keeps airborne viruses at bay, and isolated ventilation zones prevent scents from traveling between the dog boarding area and cat boarding area.
LaMere and Chiorando also plan on giving The Hydrant a new look, tapping into their day jobs as marketers and advertisers.
“We have big plans for the interior design of the facility and will be revamping the website to add new features and functionality. We want the Hydrant brand to be known as the premier pet boarding facility on the East End.” said LaMere. “We want people to love it and love telling their friends about it.”
About The Hydrant Hotel
The Hydrant Hotel provides doggie day care, dog and cat boarding and dog grooming services. Located at 845 Raynor Avenue in Riverhead, NY, it provides vacation-like experiences for dogs and cats at its premium boarding facility. The Hydrant also offers an agility course for local pet-owners and a retail store selling premium organic pet food, treats and toys.
About Austin Williams
Austin Williams is a full-service advertising, marketing, digital and public relations firm, creating ideas that inspire action for clients in the healthcare, higher education, financial services and professional services industries. Certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by the State of New York, the Long Island-based firm was founded in 1992 and was named one of the 100 fastest-growing agencies in the nation. In 2017, it was listed as a “Great Place to Work” by the institute that creates the annual Fortune 100 Great Places to Work list, named to the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing companies and in 2020 was named a Newsday “Top Places to Work.”