Pets are like children in a lot of ways. You feed them, you love them, and do whatever you can to make them happy. Unfortunately, it's impossible to spend all day, every day with your pet while handling a busy, unpredictable schedule. Every pet owner is presented with a decision to leave their furry friend at home and hope they don’t make a mess or send them somewhere else to be looked after while they’re gone. Doggy daycare gives these pets an opportunity to be showered with love in a safe space while their pet parent is away at work.
Deciding on a daycare can be stressful. With so many places to choose from, it can quickly become overwhelming trying to find the right fit for you and your pet. Your pet is your priority, but it’s also the priority of Supervisor and Dog Trainer Melissa Carmichael of the Lodge at Vale Park Animal Hospital.
Carmichael and her team of skilled staff members take care of about 30 dogs a day and group them together in ways that allow each dog to feel comfortable, safe, and happy to be there.
“Our groups are usually 10 dogs or less. We put them in groups with the same activity levels, same age, and same energy level,” Carmichael said. “We do some training with them, play with them, exercise them, and have them do some training sets. They always have toys to play with, and in the summer we have swimming pools and splash pads outside, which they absolutely love.”
Most people have their first impression at Vale Park walking through the Lodge. This space serves as a one-stop shop to manage the needs of pets. Between exceptional medical, daycare and boarding services, it’s a safe and enriching environment for pets to have fun and play together.
“The Lodge is a great place to bring your dog for daycare,” Carmichael said. “Our highly trained staff love what they do, and they will make sure your pet is having a great time playing and socializing with our many daycare dogs in a clean and safe environment. If you choose to board your dog with us, they can also have play time in a play group during their stay at no extra cost.”
No matter the temperament of the dog, the team ensures each dog feels safe and happy within their groups. If there are signs of stress or discomfort, they will move dogs to different groups where they can feel more comfortable.
“It's very important that we watch them in the group so that we can keep an eye on the dogs. If some of them aren't getting along too well or there are different signs of stress, we'll move them around to groups that fit them better,” Carmichael said.
While the Lodge is the main spot that Vale Park customers can schedule an appointment, the team has recently added an online scheduling option. This benefits the people who can’t make it into the Vale Park office to schedule an appointment, especially in a more crucial situation.
“Clients can schedule all their daycare, boarding and grooming services through Gingr,” Carmichael said. “It’s a very user-friendly application that makes scheduling much easier for our busy clients.”
Online reservations to collect payments through an online portal like Gingr allows Vale Park customers to save time setting a date for their furry friends to get the care or treatment they need.
The Lodge at Vale Park is still a relatively recent addition to a long history of excellent care provided at the animal hospital. The Lodge offers daycare and boarding services with the reassurance that if anything goes wrong, a veterinarian is only a few steps away. Pets can enjoy a vacation at the Lodge as much as their owners enjoy theirs.
It can be stressful bringing a beloved pet somewhere unfamiliar, but the team at the Lodge knows how to ensure the safety of every pet in attendance. With Carmichael’s added experience as a dog trainer, pets often learn a new skill while away from home.
“I think I bring an advantage as a trainer because I can offer advice to people. If I have puppies that are coming in, I will talk to the parents about certain things that they might need to work out at home. I also just love my staff. Everybody back here is here because they absolutely love what they do. They love the animals,” Carmichael said.
It’s hard to complain when the average workday consists of working with dogs all day. For Carmichael, walking into the Lodge is as exciting as the first time she walked through the doors.
“I love the girls that I work with, and I just love being around animals. I've been working with animals for 20-plus years, and it's just a great company to work for. It's a lot of fun,” Carmichael said.
For more information about Vale Park Animal Hospital and its services, visit valeparkah.com.
