Doggy daycare: Bali'€™s Sit and Stay aspires to become the nation'€™s premiere dog hotel.

When an establishment names itself '€œSit and Stay'€, it'€™s probably easy to guess what their field of business is.

Located just outside of Denpasar in the Umalas-Kerobokan-Canggu area of Southern Bali, Sit and Stay is a self-billed '€œone stop care center for dogs'€ that aims to provide a complete escape for canines.

The 950-square-meter space includes a dog hotel and boarding, daycare, professional salon and spa, a swimming service for dogs, a shop, a dog park and a café, where, according to one of the establishment'€™s co-founders, Tito Danang, '€œpeople can spend their day working in a place surrounded by our lovely dogs'€.

Founded just over a month ago by Tito, Danny Sunata and Ferdi Pranoto, the idea for Sit and Stay came after a casual conversation between Danny and Ferdi.

'€œI used to have a dog when I was in the States and realized it was both a necessity and a great convenience to socialize my dogs with other dogs at a dog park, then I came to Indonesia and found that we lack this amenity here'€.

'€œThen, on a visit to Bali in December 2014, I had a brief conversation with a friend who, at the time, had a Rottweiler puppy. What started as a fun chat in the pool with friends has now turned into a delightful reality,'€ explains Danny.

Tito concurred, adding that Bali had always been a '€œmecca for dogs,'€ with many seen roaming free around the streets and beaches.

'€œWe realized that there was at least one pet shop per 1 kilometer radius, but the lack of accommodation and other canine care was a concern.'€

Thus, the idea of setting up a one-stop care center for dogs seemed natural.

'€œWe understand that our target market is both local Indonesians and expatriates; therefore, we selected our location in the Umalas-Kerobokan-Canggu area, with very easy access from Denpasar.'€

The dog center consists of fully air conditioned hotel rooms, CCTV, a swimming pool and a lush garden area where dogs can run around and play.

Tito assures prospective clients that they have hired able hands to take care of the dogs; a concern oft raised by clients.

'€œOur partners, kennel boys and staff have plenty of experience in boarding and grooming for dogs; as a matter of fact, some have won medals and trophies for their involvement in dog shows throughout the country.'€

The response has been positive, say the trio.

'€œBy the second week of our soft opening, we had already had a variety of both Indonesian and expatriates stop by to check the place out and they each expressed gratefulness that such a place was here. In the future, we hope that we will be the first destination for canine care in Bali.'€

Sit and Stay plans to expand their activities to include more dog-focused events.

As their first Alaskan Malamute Bali Club gathering turned out to be a success, they plan to host more dog events in the future, including agility training and dog shows.

'€œOverall, the principle idea of having a complete canine care center, including a dog park, is to be the place where owners and their dogs can enjoy each other'€™s company, to play, to care and to sit and stay,'€ Danny says.

'€” Photos courtesy of Sit & Stay