Family-Owned Pet Care in Montrose, Colorado
Built From the Ground Up. Built With Heart.
Iron Will Dog Lodge has been family-owned and operated in Montrose since 2014, providing personalized lodging, Day Camp and pet care for families throughout the Western Slope.
What started as one family’s idea has grown into a place built around attentive care, strong relationships and the belief that every pet deserves to be treated like an individual.
How Iron Will Began
A Big Idea, Five Acres + A Lot of Determination.
Jake and Amanda Kramer both grew up in Montrose and have been building a life together here since they were young.
Before Iron Will, Jake worked long hours in the oil field while Amanda worked as a veterinary technician and kennel technician at Montrose Vet Clinic. After becoming parents, Amanda stepped away from work for a time to focus on raising their two sons.
Then Jake found a five-acre property and began building the family home himself. Not long after, he had another idea: build a dog lodge on the property that could combine Amanda’s experience and love for dogs with a business that allowed her to remain close to their family.
Jake built the original kennel himself, and in November 2014, Iron Will Dog Lodge opened its doors. What began as a family-built business with no outside backing quickly grew beyond anything we had imagined.
The beginning wasn’t easy. With two young children, a brand-new business and Jake still working full-time, Amanda managed the lodge largely on her own during those first years while Jake helped whenever he could.
What they expected to be a small supplemental business grew far beyond what either of them imagined.
Today, Iron Will is the result of the same determination that built it from the ground up: Jake bringing the entrepreneurial vision, Amanda bringing her animal-care experience, passion and drive, and a dedicated team helping carry that vision forward. More than a decade later, our goal remains the same: to provide the kind of individualized, dependable care we would want for our own animals.
“The level of growth we’ve achieved today is something we never thought possible.”
The Original Iron Will
The Dog Behind the Name.
Before there was Iron Will Dog Lodge, there was Iron Will—the dog who inspired the name, the logo and a business centered around the relationship people share with their animals.
His legacy remains part of the identity of Iron Will today and a reminder of why the work matters in the first place.
More Than a Kennel
A Different Kind of Pet Care Experience.
As Iron Will has grown, so has the facility—but the goal has remained personal.
Dogs are matched to supervised playgroups based on factors including size, age and personality, with individualized options available for pets who need something different. Guests have private indoor lodging spaces, outdoor play areas, enrichment and attentive daily care.
Today, Iron Will also offers dedicated cat lodging, grooming and a growing range of personalized add-ons designed to make each pet’s stay fit their individual needs.
Over a Decade of Care
Still Local. Still Family-Owned. Still Raising the Bar.
Since opening in 2014, Iron Will has grown into an established Montrose pet care facility while remaining family-owned and operated.
The facility is licensed and inspected under Colorado PACFA standards, offers online reservation management through Paw Partner and provides options ranging from supervised group play to individualized care for senior and special-needs guests.
Established 2014
More than a decade serving Montrose pet families.
PACFA Licensed
Licensed + inspected under Colorado PACFA standards.
Personalized Care
We treat every pet like one of our own.
Meet the Iron Will Team
The People Behind the Care.
Iron Will may have started with Jake and Amanda, but caring for every guest takes a team.
These are the people spending their days getting to know the personalities, routines and little quirks that make every Iron Will guest different.
Jake + Amanda Kramer
Owners + Founders
Jake brings the entrepreneurial vision behind Iron Will, while Amanda combines her animal-care background with the drive that helped grow the lodge from an idea into the business it is today.
Together, they founded Iron Will in 2014 and continue to guide its growth while raising their family in the Montrose community.
“This place is magical. It’s genuinely a home away from home for these pups.”
- Jen
Facility Manager
Jen
Facility Manager
Jen loves spending time with her family, being outdoors and—unsurprisingly—dogs. She currently has four of her own, although she says she’d happily have 400 if she could.
What she loves most about Iron Will is getting to care for the dogs while working alongside people who share that same passion for animal well-being.
Sheilly
Facility Supervisor
Outside of Iron Will, Sheilly enjoys kayaking, soccer and spending time with her family.
At the lodge, she especially enjoys meeting each dog’s individual needs—and getting in as many snuggles as possible.
What stands out most to her about Iron Will is the dedication of the team and the shared commitment to creating a supportive environment for every dog in their care.
BrieLee
Lead Kennel Technician
BrieLee enjoys hiking and going to the gym when she isn’t at Iron Will.
Her favorite part of the job is getting to know different dogs, learning their personalities and building genuine relationships with them during their stays.
Rebecca
Kennel Technician
Rebecca is an artist outside of work, enjoying watercolor, sketching, colored pencils and mixed media.
At Iron Will, she loves seeing the happy faces and excited tail wags of dogs arriving for lodging and Day Camp.
“We love each dog as if they were our own.”
-Rebecca
Kennel Technician
Amilia
Kennel Technician
Amilia primarily works with Iron Will’s Day Camp dogs and has a background in training and showing dogs.
One of her favorite parts of the job is watching shy dogs gradually become more comfortable, come out of their shells and begin forming new friendships.
Crystal
Kennel Technician
Bio coming soon.
Ian
Kennel Technician
Ian is a Kennel Tech who enjoys staying active and on his feet while helping care for the dogs at Iron Will.
Outside of work, he enjoys playing and listening to music, spending time with his own dog, and appreciates that even with plenty of four-legged guests, Iron Will remains one of the cleanest work environments he’s experienced.
Katie
Kennel Technician
Bio coming soon.
Dustin
Kennel Technician
Bio coming soon.
Luke
Kennel/Yard Technician
Bio coming soon.
Future Team Member
Could This Be You?
You love animals, work hard, notice the little things and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty.
If spending your day caring for dogs and cats alongside a team of fellow animal lovers sounds like your kind of job, Iron Will may be the place for you.
Different People.
One Standard of Care.
The personalities on the Iron Will team may be different, but their approach to the animals in their care has a lot in common.
They pay attention.
They learn which dogs love the action and which need a little space. They notice who wants to play, who wants to cuddle and who simply needs time to settle in.
Because great pet care isn’t just completing a checklist.
It’s getting to know the animal in front of you.
Built for the Pets Who Use It.
Iron Will’s Montrose facility includes private indoor dog lodging, large outdoor play areas, supervised play spaces, specialized accommodations and a dedicated cat boarding room—all designed around comfort, care and how pets actually spend their day.
Prospective clients are also welcome to tour the facility during designated tour hours.
