“I grew up with a lot of pets myself, and we could never travel because we could never find anywhere that we could trust, that we felt comfortable and safe, leaving them while we were gone,” Yepes said. “So it wasn't a vacation for us if we were worried about our pets back at home, so that’s what inspired this.”

Founded in 2019, Yepes Animal Hotel is operated by the Yepes family, including Laura Yepes, her father Cesar Yepes and her mother Ingrid Yepes.
Specializing in pet grooming, Laura Yepes, a Porter High School graduate, said prior to opening Yepes Animal Hotel, she attended grooming school and operated a mobile grooming business in Porter for two years.
In turn, Laura Yepes said her experience as a mobile groomer helped her earn more experience with pets while helping her create relationships with people in her community.
Located in a renovated former house, Yepes Animal Hotel offers a “homey” environment that continues to evolve with new features throughout the years, she said.
What's special about it
Laura Yepes said at Yepes Animal Hotel, guests can be assured that their pets are left in trusted hands with experienced pet care professionals.
Offering services to a wide variety of pets, including dogs, cats, small pocket pets and some exotic animals, Yepes Animal Hotel offers each pet the personalized care they need.

“We always encourage doing a day care before a long trip, so that they've tried it before. If it's a dog, you know, they kind of already know the surroundings. They get to know us,” Laura Yepes said. “We also encourage our customers to come before a reservation if they want to do a tour, so we can answer any questions they have and show them the facility.”
- 20240 Old Sorters Road, Porter
- www.yepesanimalhotel.com

