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Happy Hounds Hotel To Celebrate First Anniversary

The owners of Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa, Lee and Wendi Lodestro, are celebrating their first anniversary Saturday with a customer appreciation day. Submitted photo

LAKEWOOD — Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa is turning a year old — or seven, if you look at it in dog years — and they are ready to raise the ruff.

To celebrate their first year, Happy Hounds Hotel is hosting a customer appreciation anniversary event on Saturday including a $5 nail trim by appointment, and free giveaways. Top customers from the past year will receive a special gift.

“We are very proud that we have been able to give the pup parents a safe, clean and fun environment in which to leave their dogs,” said Wendi Lodestro, Happy Hounds Hotel co-owner, along with her husband, Lee Lodestro. “We are growing our Happy Hounds family more and more each day, and we are excited to be able to say thank you to our customers for helping us with that growth.”

Happy Hounds Hotel was opened by Lodestro and her husband on Oct. 19, 2016, and received a warm welcome from the community, with daycare and grooming spots filling before the facility even opened. As a surprise, the first 10 dogs that were boarded with Happy Hounds Hotel received a free upgrade to Presidential Suites, which boast raised beds, a television, cameras so pet parents can check in, and plenty of paw-room.

The luxury resort for dogs was inspired by the Lodestros’ own dogs, Armin and Meika. The couple found that when they traveled, they would kennel the giant schnauzers, only to find them thin and ill when they returned home.

Some of the demolition work happening around the Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa. The owners, Lee and Wendi Lodestro, purchased the building next to the business and cleared the land. Submitted photo

“We got to the point where, if we were to go on vacations, we needed to find them another solution,” Lodestro had said when Happy Hounds Hotel opened last year. “We loved staying in four-star hotels, so we figured why not give our dogs, as well as other dogs, the same luxury experience?”

Happy Hounds offers suites for boarded dogs to stay in, as opposed to cages or kennels. Additionally, each suite offers either a custom-made bed with a blanket to make dogs feel at home, or a raised Kuranda bed and blanket. Twenty of the suites offer cameras, so dog parents can check in on their fur babies, and eight suites offer televisions. Suites without televisions have calming music playing.

Overnight and day guests are enrolled in doggie daycare, a 3,250 square foot space that is separated for large and small dogs to play. Grooming services by certified groomers are also offered, with a variety of spa packages or a la carte options available.

Looking over the success of the last year, Lodestro said she and her husband have had many learning experiences.

“As with any business, you are constantly changing,” she said. “We are in a business where parents want the best for their pups, so we have gotten a lot of great feedback from them, and have made tweaks over the past year.”

One of the tweaks isn’t a small one: the Lodestros purchased the buildings and land located next door to Happy Hounds Hotel on Fairmount Avenue, and cleared the land. As of yet, they are unsure of what will become of the space.

“Having the two buildings next to us come down gives us our goal of continuing to evolve,” Lodestro said. “Lee and I conceptualized Happy Hounds, and knew what we wanted. We need to make sure the expansion will be a fit to the continued success of Happy Hounds.”

Owning Happy Hounds comes with its perks. Lodestro said that while they have found the dogs to be very demanding when it comes to buying and replacing toys, she also enjoys the time they get to spend with the dogs.

“Lee likes to say, ‘Where else could I go and have three ladies kiss me?’ – Well, lick him,” Lodestro said with a laugh, “and I don’t care!”

Lodestro said that having cameras in the playroom and suites has its advantages as well, because they — like many of the dog parents — enjoy watching the dogs when they are unable to physically be there.

“I love watching the dogs in daycare go crazy over the staff blowing bubbles at them,” Lodestro said. “I would too, because it’s bacon flavor. I also enjoy seeing the dogs sleeping peacefully – especially the ones that put all fours up in the air!”

The feedback they have received from the parents of their guests hasn’t gone unnoticed, either.

“I had a pup mom hug me and thank us for opening Happy Hounds Hotel, because now she can watch her fur baby play, sleep, and safely interact with staff. She made me cry, but then again, that was the reason for building Happy Hounds; everyone – including us – can now go away and enjoy their vacation!”

To participate in the customer appreciation anniversary event on Oct. 21, Happy Hounds ask that appointments be made by calling 338-9850 or visiting their website at HappyHoundsHotel.com. Walk-ins are unable to be accommodated for nail trims, but the Happy Hounds staff invite pet parents to stop in to see the facility and participate in the free giveaway to take to their pets at home.

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