Not long ago, Boston was not exactly the friendliest of places to be a dog owner. However, with the virtual explosion of new development in recent years, property management companies are starting to warm up to the idea of allowing furry friends into Boston’s ever-growing apartment market. The rise in pet-friendly luxury apartments has led to a steady increase in seriously pampered pooches in need of daily care and affection while their owners are hard at work. Enter Carol Lindenmuth, founder and fearless leader of Elliot’s House, a full service pet care company that caters to clientele in Boston and beyond. Her business thrives in new apartment developments like the Kensington, where residents enjoy some pretty amazing amenities.
Kensington Resident Services Manager Drew Boujoulian explains that, “Ovutside of the standard luxury apartment amenities one would expect to see, we also included amenities that would appeal to the pet owner such as the Groom Room, which essentially acts as a do-it-yourself pet spa and the Pet Relief Center, an indoor space for pets to do their business when there is cold or inclement weather.” There are plenty of incredible perks for their human counterparts, too. Luxury complexes like the Kensington have allowed Carol to capitalize on an important niche within the Boston rental market.
Carol is a lifelong animal lover who knew at a very young age that her path in life was to include caring for our beloved four legged companions. To date, she has rescued somewhere between 30 and 40 dogs, including Elliot himself, the company’s namesake. The American Bulldog/Pitbull mix was rescued by Lindenmuth from a high-kill shelter in California after he was found wandering the streets of Compton. Despite his formidable size, it seems as though Elliot genuinely believes he is a lapdog and has no problem giving you the sad eyes until you give him a good head scratch.
Even though Elliot’s House has only been around for about three years, business has been booming. The full service pet care company has grown to nine employees who share Carol’s love and devotion to proper care of animals. For Carol, the secret to her success is simple—all involved with Elliot’s House love what they do. They are passionate and have fun looking after the furry members of their client’s families. Lindenmuth stresses the importance of effective communication in customer service, which has been instrumental to the success of Elliot’s House. Her team will send pictures, videos and updates to clients and they work diligently to keep the owners in the loop. Elliot’s House also offers dog walking, daycare, boarding, cat sitting, training, and vet services.
The future is nothing but bright for Elliot’s House thanks to countless hours of hard work by Carol and her team. I’m told Elliot’s House has some huge projects coming up for 2016 and the business shows no sign of slowing down. When asked where she would like to see the company five or ten years down the line, Carol hopes the company will be nationwide. “We are constantly expanding. The future is really limitless”
In the meantime, Carol has also established Elliot’s Foundation, a charity that acts as a liaison between shelters and rescues and helps provide a vital resource to get animals out of high kill shelters and on their way to foster care and a loving home. Each year, 4 million animals are euthanized in shelters across the country, a fact that Lindenmuth treats as a call to action. With her ever-faithful four-pawed sidekick following close behind, Carol is leading Elliot’s House into a big 2016, with a few big surprises in store. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.