When a pet comes to visit with our family, our mission is to provide the same high level of personal care he gets from your family!

A Family-Owned, Family-Run Business
Cocoa Kennels dates back to 1968, one year before construction began on Disney’s Magic Kingdom and the Cinderella Castle. By the time current owners Paul and Debbie Dean arrived in Brevard County from New Jersey in 1998, looking for a special boarding kennel to make their own, Disney’s Animal Kingdom was opening as the fourth theme park at Walt Disney Resort and Disney was far from alone in the destination business in Central Florida!

After touring many potential locations, Paul and Debbie purchased Cocoa Kennels. Not only did the business enjoy a good reputation and include a large contemporary home and plenty of acreage with great potential, but it was ideally located on SR 520, a direct east-west route between the beach and Orlando’s destinations and a mere mile from Interstate 95—the state’s major north-south expressway.

Before the big move to Florida, Debbie worked as a licensed nurse while Paul followed up a successful real estate career with a successful sales career in newspapers and cable TV. But they longed to own a family business in Florida that revolved around their love of animals. Buying Cocoa Kennels allowed the Dean family to do what many only dream about: own a business, have their family work as a team in running the business, be able to walk to work, do something rewarding and meet many great people along the way.

Today, both dedicate their time and passion to working actively in the kennel. They also have four great children — Matthew, Jessica, Lorielle and Danielle — and plenty of family pets, including Czar, a Rottweiler mix born at the kennel, a pug named Puggles, a golden retriever puppy named Kahlua and two cats, Trinity and their calico Sugar, who can usually be found supervising the kennel office and staff: “Somebody’s got to keep the dogs and the people in line around here!”

Credits and Honors
Cocoa Kennels is a first-choice kennel recommendation of area veterinarians and recognized as an expert resource on pet care and boarding by local news media. Our dedication to high business standards is demonstrated by memberships in the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Development Council, Pet Car Services Association, Fraternal Order of Police and American Boarding Kennel Association (ABKA).

ABKA Accreditation
In 2000, Cocoa Kennels became Brevard’s first and only ABKA-accredited pet care facility and one of only five boarding kennels in the state to have achieved this honor — our industry’s highest designation.

Top Local Business Award
In 2004, the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce honored us with its top business award for businesses with one to ten employees. That was the year our family and staff pulled together to protect and care for 102 canine guests threatened by Hurricane Jean.

Landscaping
We’ve been repeatedly recognized by Keep Brevard Beautiful for our lush tropical landscaping:
• First Place Winner 2000 — Best New Commercial Landscaping
• Nominated 2004 — Best Commercial Landscaping Renovation
• Selected in 2008 for the Best of Brevard Secret Garden Tour

K9 Kudos
Cocoa Kennels is the preferred boarding kennel for local law enforcement K9 divisions. We’ve had the privilege of housing the valuable K9 dogs of the Cocoa Police Department, Palm Bay Police Department, Indian River County Sheriff’s Department, Brevard County Sheriff’s Department, Florida State Police and the U.S. Customs and Homeland Security Department. “Please don’t refer to us as pets, we’re hard-working law enforcement partners, but yup — we love to stay here too!”

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