Lucky Dog Daycare, Resort Opens In South Tampa

Gone are the days when you dropped your pooch off at a kennel, where a majority of the time they were caged and crated with a bowl of food and water. Lucky Dog, an innovative alternative to a traditional kennel, offers pups an indoor playground, 2 pools, 2 grassy outdoor play areas and a hand-crafted dog door that gives dogs the option to go outside into a secured outdoor sunning area. Chelsea Smith, general manager of Lucky Dog, explains that the operation offers the comforts of home for four-legged clientele. “Some of our unique services include social boarding which allows the dogs to participate in daycare during the day, and group sleep in a large room by night,” Smith says. “Many of our customers like this service because it cancels out the caged alternative, which is restrictive to the dog, and does not allow them to socialize outside of staff interaction. This social alternative provides a home away from home feeling.” Lucky Dog offers owners of these four-legged family members a chance to remotely check in on their beloved pets from virtually anywhere. The facility has 7 webcams placed so that owners can view their pets at play via its website. The company has experienced steady growth since opening in October, and averages approximately 85 dogs per week in daycare. “We are in the process of building a large café style viewing room, which will give owners a view into our indoor splash pool area. The café will be complete with WiFi, tables and four one-way viewing windows,” Smith says. Lucky Dog is located at 311 N. Newport Ave. in South Tampa. Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Chelsea Smith, Lucky Dog