You’ve purchased your tickets, made reservations at a quaint B&B, got the car tuned up for the big trip. But what about your furry family members who won’t be going along? Before you start packing your suitcases, call Ruff Life Pet Hotel and reserve a spot for your dog and cat! Stavroula and Tim McCormick opened the facility in Lake Hallie in November 2019.
What will your pet’s vacation be like? Each pet has his or her own suite (not a kennel), pets from the same family can stay together in a double suite. Anxiety-reducing, calming music is played 24 hours a day, and the lights are dimmed at night but not completely turned off, so your pet is never left in the dark. Each pet will have a nice comfortable raised bed and stainless-steel dishes to have their meals. Stavroula says, “The animals are all given lots of love. We sit and cuddle with them on a couch, just like you would at home. We play with them and love each one of them as if they were our own pets.” The facility has cameras installed so that the staff can observe the animals anytime, anywhere.
For the safety of all pets and staff, no animals mix with others unless they are from the same family. They believe that it is more important your pet socialize with humans more so then other animals. “When you have friends over for dinner, you don’t want them to misbehave. You want them to be friendly and allow your guests to pet them if they choose,” Stavroula stated. Though they do not have the traditional doggie daycare, they do have day boarding, which is the same but pets play with humans only.
Does your pet need to be given medicine? Does she have a special medical condition? Staff at Ruff Life Pet Hotel are trained to not only competently address those needs, but also to administer first-aid or CPR to your pet if the need should arise. Staff completed the Pro Pet Hero training course. Pet hotel manager, Kelsey Arneson noted, “We wanted to be able to have this kind of knowledge to stabilize the pet, should some health issue occur, to then get the pet to an emergency care facility safely. Instead of feeling helpless in those situations, we wanted to have the knowledge to act.” So far they haven’t had to use these skills, but having that certification puts pet owners at ease, knowing their pets are in good hands.
Cost to board your pet overnight at Ruff Life is a flat fee. There are no added-on charges. Pet grooming services are also available. In fact, Ruff Life’s groomer is known for being able to work well with pets that don’t like being groomed. “She calms them down, takes time and care with them,” Stavroula says.
For more information and to make a reservation, visit www.RuffLifePetHotel.com.