Happy Tails wins first A-List Award for dog boarding and daycare in St. Louis

Happy Tails, a 24-hour pet care facility in St. Ann, Missouri, won STL Magazine’s 2026 A-List Award for Best Dog Boarding and Daycare after being a finalist in two categories. The win gives the business its first A-List honor following a 2025 ownership change and adds to its local recognition in the St. Louis area.

Why it matters: - Happy Tails’ first A-List win gives the St. Ann pet care facility a new local credential in the competitive St. Louis pet services market. - The award reflects reader voting, which can influence how pet owners choose boarding, daycare, grooming and training providers. - The win comes after a 2025 ownership transition, signaling that the business has maintained customer support through change.

What happened: - Happy Tails won STL Magazine’s 2026 A-List Award for Best Dog Boarding and Daycare in St. Louis. - The St. Ann facility was a finalist in two categories: Best Pet Boarding/Daycare and Best Pet Groomer. - The A-List Awards are an annual STL Magazine program that recognizes local businesses in the greater St. Louis area. - Local residents nominate the finalists and local residents vote for the winners. - The award marks Happy Tails’ first A-List win.

The details: - Happy Tails has served pet parents since 2000. - The business offers dog boarding, dog daycare, dog grooming and dog training. - Happy Tails operates with 24-hour accessibility. - Michael Schifano owns Happy Tails and took over the business in 2025. - Schifano said he wanted to build on what made the facility special for more than two decades. - Happy Tails also won NextDoor’s “Neighborhood Favorite” in 2025. - The business lists a 4.5-star Google rating, a 92% Facebook recommendation rate and an A+ Better Business Bureau rating.

Between the lines: - The award suggests the facility’s changes after the 2025 acquisition did not weaken customer loyalty. - The dual finalist status in boarding/daycare and grooming points to a broad service footprint, not just one standout offering. - Reader-choice awards often reward businesses with strong local recognition and repeat customer satisfaction.

What’s next: - Happy Tails is likely to lean on the A-List win as it competes for new pet care customers across the greater St. Louis area. - The company expects to add more accolades as it continues operating under new ownership.

The bottom line: - Happy Tails turned a local finalist nod into its first major A-List win, strengthening its profile as a 24-hour dog care provider in St. Louis.