Yellowknife (May 19/04) - There's a new place to drop off your dog in Yellowknife.

"We've been kennelling since the start of the new year," said owner Shelley Ramsay.

Ramsay, along with her husband Rob, run Canadog Kennels and Skijor Supply, located at 123 Curry Drive.

The Ramsays have had a kennel for their own dogs for a couple of years.

Then people began driving into their yard and asking the Ramsays if they would take their dogs.

The first couple of times people asked for kennelling services the Ramsays turned them down, but as the requests kept coming, they decided they would be foolish not to take up the business.

Part of what makes the spot attractive to passersby is the work that the Ramsays have put into their yard.

"We levelled and gravelled the yard and put up a huge play yard for our own dogs, and that's what attracted people's attention," said Ramsay.

The Ramsays have 18 sled dogs of their own, most of which are purebred Siberians, along with some Alaskans. Most of the dogs run loose within an area penned off by a chain-link fence.

Being a dog lover herself, Ramsay says she likes to give her clients the idea that they are dog babysitters.

Plans are currently underway to expand the penned-off kennel, allowing for more free-range capacity.

The bulk of the business is expected to be with larger dogs, but Ramsay adds she has had requests to take indoor breeds.

The cost for dropping your dog off at Canadog Kennels and Skijor Supply is in line with industry prices, said Ramsay.

Sixteen dollars a day provides the canine with an insulated dog house and premium dog food. Those with two dogs can house their animals at a rate of $25 a day.