My 27-Year-Old Dream Come True
About the Owner
I’m Hailey Hirsch, and my dream of owning a pet care facility started back in 1998. I’ve been around animals all my life. I grew up riding horses, and I recall the remarkable feeling of relief and calmness each time I entered the barn. My time with animals has always played an important role in my life, and I became determined to create a pet care facility that offers pet parents just like you those same feelings of relief and a deep sense of calm the moment you walk through the door at Orion Retreat and Daycare.
After earning a Master of Science in Education, majoring in Emotional Handicaps and Learning Disabilities, I worked as a high school Mathematics and Special Education teacher for 13 years. Though it was incredibly satisfying and rewarding to influence students’ lives, in 2019, I realized that it was time for me to follow my lifelong dream of owning a pet “retreat,” where pets can play, socialize, enjoy nature, and participate in fun and enriching activities, and where pet parents know their dogs are receiving thoughtful and professional care, giving them peace of mind until their return.
While teaching, I learned how important it is to make learning fun while listening and communicating with my students and their parents. My Special Education background led me to realize that dogs, like humans, are unique individuals with distinct personalities shaped by their innate traits, habits, lifestyle, prior experiences, abilities, and levels of security and confidence. Similarly, in the world of Special Education, students receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), so I thought, why not create an Individualized Enrichment Plan (IEP) for every dog? Over time, it became clear that I could leverage my passion and enthusiasm to create a new option for pet care in this community and a different approach to pet care in the industry overall.
Navigating the Dream
I was determined to bring my dream to life. In 2019, I began shaping the vision for a warm, welcoming pet care facility that would feel like the next best thing to home. I attended conferences, conducted research, and built a team that challenged me to grow. Together, we wrote a 287-page business plan, and that turned out to be the easy part!
Over the next several years, I navigated pandemic delays, conditional and special use permits, rising construction costs, and purchased and sold more than one property. There were moments I had to start over completely. However, in October 2023, we finally broke ground on Orion Retreat and Daycare.
Through it all, I never gave up, and thanks to the unwavering support of my family, friends, and the incredible Orion team, this dream is now a reality.
Where your dog’s happiness meets your peace of mind.
About the Name
Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of sharing my heart and soul with many dogs and horses, and I named one of my horses Rugged Orion, and named (delete) one of my dogs’ middle names is Mintaka, after a star in the Orion constellation.
My hope is that the name, the place, and the dedicated team who make a career at Orion Retreat and Daycare, all serve as dependable guides as you navigate the emotional experience of entrusting your pet to someone else’s care. Just as I always experienced a sense of calm and relief each time I entered the barn, I hope you will feel the same each time you enter Orion Retreat and Daycare.
The name Orion evokes guidance and reassurance, while the word “retreat” suggests rest, renewal, and tranquility as a comforting choice for pet parents. Orion Retreat and Daycare provides an elevated level of care not found in a typical “boarding kennel,” but a place where every detail is designed with thoughtfulness and purpose, based on what’s best for your pet and our commitment to providing the highest level of personalized care.
At Orion Retreat and Daycare, we enhance the lives of dogs by providing a holistic and nurturing environment for the growth and emotional well-being of the whole dog.
Our Team and Unique Approach
Our knowledgeable pet care team takes time to get to know you and your dog. We identify personality traits, habits, lifestyle, prior experiences, abilities, behaviors, and levels of agility to create a program that positively benefits and enhances your dog’s life, as well as your own.
We follow rigorous hiring practices and provide advanced on-the-job training in dog body language, behavior, and pet safety, as well as engaging in communications training based on the guiding principles of Goodness Wins: Doing right by every person, every pet, every day. We take a genuine interest in supporting pet parents by providing transparent and consistent feedback about each dog’s individual experience. In short, we speak “dog” and will lead you on a journey to understand your dog’s unique behaviors while providing an array of services for an unmatched experience.