Camp Scotty

When Steven Scott set out to build Camp Scotty in 2015, he wanted something closer to a vacation resort for dogs than a traditional kennel, and the state-of-the-art facility he built on Pelham Parkway in Pelham reflects that ambition. Backed by more than thirty years of combined pet industry experience among its founders, Camp Scotty has grown into one of the larger dog boarding and daycare operations in the Birmingham area, all while remaining based in Pelham rather than expanding into a franchise chain.

The facility itself is built around scale and comfort rather than bare-bones kennel runs. Camp Scotty offers more than forty suites in a range of sizes, from small five-by-five spaces up to roomier fifteen-foot suites, along with a 5,700 square foot outdoor yard divided into three separate sections so dogs of different sizes and temperaments are not thrown together indiscriminately. Indoor play areas supplement the outdoor space, and dogs staying at the facility receive six or more walks and supervised playtimes throughout the day, a level of activity well beyond what a standard boarding kennel typically provides.

Boarding and daycare are only part of what Camp Scotty offers. The facility also runs a full grooming operation, plus self-serve dog wash stations available for ten dollars per use for owners who would rather bathe their own dog without hauling buckets and towels through the house. A pet taxi service rounds out the practical side of the business, useful for owners who need a dog picked up or dropped off but cannot manage the timing themselves.

Camp Scotty’s training program is one of its more structured offerings, built around three progressive six-week obedience courses using a click-and-treat training method. Level 1, open to dogs fourteen weeks and older, costs 180 dollars and covers foundational commands like sit, down, stay, and heeling. Level 2, which requires completing Level 1 first, costs 165 dollars and adds attention work, figure-eight patterns, and early off-lead heeling. Level 3, priced at 130 dollars, builds toward hand signals, distraction work, and full off-lead heeling, with some dogs going on to test for AKC certifications. Each course meets once a week for an hour, giving owners and dogs a structured path rather than a single crash-course session.

For pet owners who want reassurance while their dog is away, Camp Scotty offers webcam access so families can check in on their pets throughout the stay, addressing one of the most common anxieties around boarding a dog for the first time. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. year-round, the facility has positioned itself as a full-service option for Pelham and the surrounding Shelby County communities, covering boarding, daycare, grooming, training, and transportation under a single roof rather than sending owners to separate businesses for each need. That breadth of service, paired with a facility clearly designed with dogs’ comfort in mind rather than minimum-cost kenneling, has made Camp Scotty a name that comes up often when Pelham residents ask each other where to leave a dog they trust.

A decade into operation, Camp Scotty has become a fixture for Shelby County pet owners who travel frequently or work long hours and need a boarding option that treats daycare as a daily service rather than an occasional emergency drop-off. The facility’s size, more than forty suites and a nearly six-thousand-square-foot yard, sets it apart from smaller, home-based boarding operations that can only accommodate a handful of dogs at a time, giving Camp Scotty the capacity to serve as a dependable option even during the busiest holiday travel weeks when smaller kennels fill up months in advance.