Petropolis Park offers a haven for dogs and peace of mind for their owners, by providing cageless day care, cageless boarding, certified training, 24-hour live staffing and true customer care.
Employees develop a bond with each dog. They understand their personalities and needs. Jodi Kurzweil has been bringing Jewel to doggie day camp at Petropolis Park since 2005. Jewel gets the full treatment, also attending weekly training sessions and stays at the "doggie hotel" for one week, several times a year.
"It is a cageless society day and night," said Kurzweil. Petropolis staff caters to every dog. Animals with specials needs or handicaps are given the extra love and attention needed, including administering shots, specials diets and medication, at no additional cost.
Daniel De La Rosa has owned Petropolis Park since 2008 and has been training dogs since 1989. De La Rosa is a certified clicker trainer, using positive reinforcement. This method has been used to train goldfish to guinea pigs. "A dog can be trained at any age," said De La Rosa. He explains that you can train a dog forever and continued training is important because they are in thinking mode all the time, continually learning. De La Rosa uses clicker training to resolve many common issues such as potty training, jumping on people and pulling on a leash.
Dog day care offers a supervised environment of exercise and socialization. "The biggest benefit to the client is that the dog is as tired as they are at the end of the day," De La Rosa said. Matt Mailey takes his dog Pepa to regular day care. "I enjoy the fact that my dog Pepa gets all the crazy out during the day. When I get home she is worn out and sleeps well. I love the fact that the staff really seems to love Pepa and treats her like family. It's my dog’s home away from home. I also love the fact that my dog is highly socialized with her own kind and is as comfortable around people as she is with dogs," said Mailey.
Because all the dogs are excited and enthusiastic about attending Petropolis Park, pet owners don't have to feel guilty about leaving their dog at home or in the care of someone else. Dogs can play in doggie pools and enjoy water games during the hottest time of the day. Small and large dogs are rotated, so each group gets time in the yard.
"Jewel usually does not want to be separated from me, yet she cannot wait to go inside to be with her doggie pals. She walks into Petropolis and she does not say goodbye to me," said Kurzweil.
During overnight cageless boarding, elevated dog cots are used. These hygienic cots help prevent joint-related difficulties, cut down on elbow calluses and are known to be beneficial for arthritic and geriatric pets. Dogs left alone in cages for 12-15 hours can get sick, seriously injured or freak out during bad weather. At Petropolis Park, a staff member is there to calm and care for all the dogs, like a guest in their home.
"My dog hates cages. She loves Petropolis Park and the space to run and play with the other big dogs," said Mailey. "I could not imagine sending her anywhere else!" Dog owner Andrea Dipasquale said, " I started going because it was cageless 24-7. Now I go because the staff is great, the facilities are clean and I feel safe with the girls being there when I travel."
Service is exemplary. Petropolis Park is not a large corporate commercial kennel, "it is more of a second home," said De La Rosa. "Employees are not only knowledgeable and competent but they are nice people who really care about dogs. They always have a good attitude when I call and pay attention to my doggies when there," said Dipasquale.
Employees know all the dogs by name, habit and bark. "My dog is not just a pay check they truly love her there," said Mailey. The staff has been there for years. Clients enjoy hearing stories of their dog's day at school and employees welcome feedback.
"Daniel is always asking me what he can do to improve my puppy's life at doggie camp," said Kurzweil. The concrete building is hurricane sturdy and staff members are trained in procedures of safety during bad weather.
De La Rosa is also the Vice President and Director of Training for Service Dogs 4 Servicemen, a non-profit organization that provides trained service dogs to disabled military veterans. The "Hero Project" trains and places retired racing greyhounds.
Barry Offenburger was the first service dog recipient. Offenburger was seeking assistance in coping with his post-traumatic stress disorder. It took about five months for him to receive Hero II full time. Since then, Hero has done wonders for Offenburger’s anxiety in crowded places, leading to panic attacks. Since receiving Hero, the panic attacks have been eliminated.
“He can lead me through a crowd, stand behind me to watch my back or in front to create space between me and other people. I used to have a hard time leaving the house, but now with Hero I look forward to it. I feel with Hero I have sense of purpose and my life back," said Offenburger.
Service Dogs 4 Servicemen is privately funded and depends solely on the generosity of their supporters. Money donated can be used to sponsor the expenses a veteran will incur for the service training and certification, as well as basic dog care items.
For more information, visit www.servicedogs4servicemen.com and www.petropolispark.com or call 954.923.7768. Petropolis Park is located at Washington and Dixie Highway at 2112 Washington Street. Daycare hours are Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and extended member hours are 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
