Our Story

How it all began...

Kyra, The first corgi Candie ever laid eyes on.
Lilo, all grown up, Candie's precious fur-baby boy.

It all started back in 2004 with a potato. Well, not an actual potato, but a furry little corgi potato who would come to be known as Lilo: The Most Precious Boy There Ever Was. Lilo would be founder Candie Kemp’s first dog as an adult; she remembers when her family brought home a corgi puppy when she was in high school. She had no idea that that would give birth to a life dedicated to the breed.

After growing up with Kyra, her family’s dog, she learned just how special life was with a corgi. When one of her customers, at the mobile phone shop she was working at, asked “what kind of dog do you have?” a conversation about corgis would ensue, resulting in the information that the customer coincidentally bred corgis! Imagine the excitement Candie felt at that moment, knowing she could have a corgi of her very own – her first dog as a “grown up!” When the puppies were old enough to be in public, that customer brought in the litter so she could choose her new baby. They were identified by different colored ribbons. Instructed to choose one and a “backup,” Candie chose purple and blue. This breeder ran the show circuit and wanted to wait until their colors came in to see which one she would keep for show. A few weeks later, the ‘potato’ with the blue ribbon, (Lilo) was ready to come home.

As Lilo grew, Candie felt the need for him to have a friend. Her aunt had located a rescue near where she lived in another state. This little girl came to her on a plane. Her name was Zelda. Being a rescue, she was not well cared for in the beginning of her life; she had been abused and neglected. Sweet, sassy, and playful, she became the perfect companion for Lilo. A few years later, Hammer, another rescue, found Candie.

Baby Lilo, the most precious boy that ever was.

Life with three corgis included a lot of vacuuming!

Zelda would succumb to kidney disease very unexpectedly, and rather quickly, at only eight years of age. Heartbroken, Candie really missed having a little girl around to accompany Hammer and Lilo. Yet again, her aunt found another girl nearby and put her on a plane to go join Candie’s pack. This rescue was named Cheyenne; she was in even worse shape than Zelda was when she came to Candie. Underweight, infested with fleas, and having black teeth, poor little Cheyenne was so neglected but she was full of sweetness and love. After a few dentals, a hearty flea dip, lots of training and, of course, tender loving care, “Cheyenne” would become better known as Booger.

Over the years, Candie worked in hotels with various audio-visual departments. She would later travel frequently to meet clients and check in on productions. It was discovered that poor little Booger had intense separation anxiety. Every time Booger was left with a dog sitter, she would get sick. This troubled Candie enough that she just decided she was going to bring her along on all the business trips!

After a few years of adventures with Booger, The Traveling Corgi, Candie saw the need for a truly pet friendly hotel. It was a challenge to find a place that offered the accommodations needed for things like: convenient space and location for adequate potty breaks, a place to secure Booger in case of a meeting or a need to quickly run out, and a place for Booger to enjoy herself should Candie not be able to be present. Thus, the idea for Corgi Town USA was born!