A different kind of diva care: growing national doggy day-care company Camp Bow Wow attracts LGBT pet owners--and LGBT franchise owners.

Do gays truly have a way with divas? Camp Bow Wow kennel owner Mike Monks of Midland Park, N.J., certainly does. When Nutmeg, a Pomeranian with a Faye Dunaway-esque demeanor, checked in because her owners were going away on business, Monks gave her the greatest away-from-home experience of her life, fussy diet demands included. "A slice of bologna in the morning, a slice of cucumber and lettuce for lunch, and chicken and rice for dinner," he recalls feeding her. "And it had to be warmed up. A lot of kennels will charge extra for those requests, and maybe they can't even [meet them], but we don't charge anything."

A growing national franchise company with 165 franchises, Camp Bow Wow stands apart in the doggy day-care industry not just because of its top-of-the-line services but because of the special breed of folks who run them: Approximately 25% of its 110 franchise owners are gay or lesbian. Heidi Flammang, 40, who founded the company based in Boulder, Colo., in 2000, says this was an organic development: Many of Camp Bow Wow's earliest clients were LGBT, and their loving, even doting regard for their "furry children" made for superb business associates. "They're open, wonderful people," she says of her gay franchise owners, "and I think there's a certain sense of family. I have been so impressed with how connected the whole LGBT community is."

A former telecommunications executive, Monks decided in 2004 to grab a piece of the $35-billion-a-year pet services and supplies industry. The proud "parent" of two pets--Keller, an Australian shepherd named after the hot gay prisoner played by Chris Meloni on HBO's Oz, and R.J., a beagle mix rescued during Hurricane Katrina he investigated kennel companies and chose Camp Bow Wow for its superior services and room for growth. "They've really perfected the science--or art--of taking care of dogs," Monks, 36, says. "We offer Webcams in all our pet areas so owners can monitor their dogs online and outdoor facilities. Our staff is trained in canine health and first aid, and our rules, policies, and procedures keep the dogs safe."

Sometimes Monks has even played social worker when pups checked in bearing signs of abuse or neglect. "I remember one in particular: very skinny and the fur was falling out," he says. "We spoke to the owners, and they said their vet had told them the dog was the perfect weight! When they said the name we knew it--it was the worst vet."

Camp Bow Wow's queer presence isn't limited to the company's franchise owners though--the dogs themselves are occasionally LGBT too. "We have these two male dogs, papillons, who are older, so they're missing some teeth, like old has-been drag queens who are drunk," says Monks with a laugh. "But of course we love them. They're really good dogs."--Lawrence Ferber