About
Canine to Five
A love for Detroit, entrepreneurship, and dogs, inspired Liz Blondy to found Canine to Five Detroit – the Metro Detroit Area’s finest dog daycare, boarding and grooming facility – back in 2005. Now, years later, Canine to Five has become a staple in Detroit Culture and, through its commitment to dogs and their owners, has grown to include a location in Ferndale, Commerce Township and a fourth location on the Eastside of Detroit in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. It’s where dogs go to have fun, but also learn socialization skills that will last them their entire life and burn energy through play and engagement.
company mission
"To provide exceptional care for dogs, while offering pet parents peace of mind."
Core Values
We care.
We care about dogs; their safety, health and general well-being are our highest priority. We care about our dogs’ people; we strive to provide superior customer service with each and every interaction. We care about our team; we aim to make our work environment purposeful, meaningful, supportive and rewarding. We care about our place; our city, community and buildings are each an integral part of Canine to Five.
We are safe.
High staffing ratio; cleanliness is a priority; extensive staff training.
We are flexible.
We are flexible with dogs; our canine friends are living beings with changing needs that can sometimes be unpredictable. We are flexible with our customers; their convenience, requests and concerns are always considered. We are flexible with our team; scheduling needs are accommodated whenever possible and the team interacts to support each others needs as such.
We are appreciative.
We are appreciative of our patrons; we know that being entrusted with the care of four-legged family members is serious business, and we are grateful for the opportunity to do so. We are appreciative of our team; the day-in day-out hard work is important and the effort is recognized. We are appreciative of our community’s support.
We are forward thinking.
We are improving and growing every day. We set goals and exceed them. We strive to educate ourselves with best practices. We work to send home a dog improved in both temperament and behavior at the end of each visit. We expect our team to work harder every day. We are open to new ideas.
We are positive.
We see the best in every situation. We look at challenges as opportunities. We are “can-do” people.
Get to know Canine to Five
Canine To Five has been around since 2005 -- it’s practically ancient viewed through the prism of “New Detroit.” At the time it opened, premium canine care in the Cass Corridor was something so speculative as to be considered ludicrous by some. But founder and owner Liz Blondy made a plan, threw some cash and hope at it, and went for it.
Here we are now, 18 years later, and her vision appears to have paid off: Canine To Five Midtown completed an expansion, Canine To Five Ferndale (est. 2013) is thriving, in 2021 we purchased Dog City Daycare in Commerce Township and made it Canine To Five Commerce, and in August 2023 we welcomed Canine To Five Eastside to the family!
Like many leaps of faith, Canine To Five all started with a conversation at a bar. This time, The Bronx. Liz was having drinks with a friend who told her that she and her husband sometimes drove their dog out to Farmington Hills to take it to a thing called “dog daycare.” Anyone that has ever met Liz will characterize her as inquisitive, and this time proved no different. After a lot of research, she realized that the dog care industry was booming and she could get into the Detroit market with a new product and service at the ground floor!
Since that time, Detroit has weathered bankruptcy, a major recession, and a literal pandemic! Now, things in Detroit are looking up and Canine To Five has completed a major expansion in order to be able to provide even more services, including the addition of a pet supplies shop next door, to its growing clientele.
Eighteen years is long enough to become a Detroit staple, so cheers to that random bar talk that became a way of life and a valuable and necessary asset for so many Detroit dog owners!
Well-Being & Happiness
Dogs are welcome to play in the safe and secure facilities including 7,000 sq. ft. of indoor climate-controlled play space and 4,000 sq. ft. of fenced-in area complete with agility obstacles and a small pool in warmer months.
The safety and well-being of every dog is of the utmost importance at Canine to Five, that’s why our well-trained staff of Pack Leaders and enthusiasts adhere to strict cleaning standards helping to provide a safe and sanitary environment. And in order to provide the most socially centered indoor/outdoor environment for dogs, Canine to Five provides each dog the time and attention it deserves. The high employee-to-dog ratio and Canine to Five’s trained staff is knowledgeable in canine first aid, CPR and animal behavior.