Hickory Grove
A quieter kind of care.
A small, nature-based dog retreat being built just outside Huntsville.
Designed for dogs who need space, structure, and a calmer environment.
Coming in 2027
What to expect
Hickory Grove was shaped by a simple belief:
Some dogs need more than a place to stay.
They need space.
They need understanding.
They need an environment that adjusts to them —
not the other way around.
Some arrive anxious.
Some reactive.
Some older, or carrying more than most places are built to hold.
Others arrive full of energy —
eager, social, ready to move.
What matters is not where they start,
but how they are met.
Not as an exception,
but as the standard.
How it feels
No cages.
Private rooms designed for rest and reset.
No added fees for time outside or administering care.
These are part of the responsibility.
A small, intentional group —
carefully shaped, never crowded.
Days built around natural rhythm:
movement, rest, and time outdoors.
Calm when it’s needed.
Structure when it matters.
Space to simply be a dog.
Each dog is treated with the same care and awareness as our own.
Why it exists
Hickory Grove has been a long-held vision —
built slowly, with intention, and a clear sense of what was missing.
It will remain intentionally small —
so each dog can be known, not managed.
Hickory Grove is built and run by Rickie —
shaped by years of hands-on experience caring for her own pack, and a deep understanding of how different dogs think, respond, and settle.
It’s not an idea of care.
It’s something lived, practiced, and understood over time.
Join the early list
Be among the first to hear when we open and begin accepting a small number of dogs.