North Carolina couple says pet care business is a wish come true

Before moving to North Carolina from Brazil, Ken and Patricia Fisher had dreamed of opening up their own pet care business. Now, it’s a reality. As the Gaston Gazette reports, the couple recently opened the Kennelina Pet Resort at their home in Gastonia, North Carolina.

“We came to North Carolina to start fresh,” Patricia Fisher told the paper. “This is our dream.”

The couple’s love for animals – and desire to create a corporation to take care of them – came after they adopted a pair of stray dogs. As they worked to construct the kennel itself, the couple worked to build their client base by pet-sitting when they weren’t working. Once the kennel was completed, they already had a steady clientele to help fill the 2,300-square-foot facility.

The Fishers’ new business has succeeded despite being located in an area that was particularly hard hit by the recession. Unemployment in Gaston County reached nearly 15 percent last summer, and is currently at 11.9 percent – more than 2.5 percent higher than the national average.