Inne Towne Pet Motel

Illustration of a dog and cat below brown text on a tan background. Below the animals is an illustration of a 1978 calendar in blue on a tan background.

The Inne Towne Pet Motel was created by veterinarian Dr. J.W Hanover of Forest Park, IL, who had been practicing for almost 30 years at the time of the opening of the motel in 1976. His clients had been asking where they could find a reputable place to board their dogs, and the only available option was far enough away customers did not wish to drive there, so Dr. Hanover decided to fill the void in his area. Dr. Hanover noted that pet owners were usually concerned with the type of care they would receive at a boarding facility, including sanitation, smells, and the amount of attention the pet would receive. He tried to ensure he could ease the fears of pet owners and designed the facility to be accommodating for pets so it could easily be kept clean and sanitary. The Inne Towne Pet Motel was managed by Dr. Hanover’s vet tech of 5 years so that Dr. Hannover could assure guests their pets were in good hands.

 The pet motel accommodated over 200 cats and dogs in self-contained ceramic-tile kennel in various sizes and boasted air conditioning in the summer and cement floors that electronically heated in the winter. All animals were required to be up to date on shots and owners were required to leave their vets contact information incase of an emergency. The Inne Towne Pet Motel was open Monday-Friday 9am-12pm and 2pm-6pm as well as Saturdays from 9am-12pm and 2pm-4pm and the rates were $3 a day for cats and $4-$6 a day for dogs, depending on the size. The facility included a kitchen that could accommodate any dog, even if they were fussy. There were also cubbies for each pet so staff could keep their likes and dislikes, allergies, and medications could be checked on.