By Matt Wiley
As you’ve all read during the past few months in these pages, our office recently moved to Wesley Chapel. About one month before the big move, I took a big “life step” and decided to get a dog with my girlfriend Vanessa as our Christmas gift to one another. At the time, I had no idea that I would need a service like the kind that New Tampa Pet Resort (NTPR) offers: “doggy daycare, boarding and grooming.
We rescued Otis, an American dingo-corgi mix, from Hillsborough County Animal Services (located off Anderson Rd. in Brandon). Needless to say (and all of you pet owners know what I’m talking about), life has been a little different from the second he came home with us.
In addition to having a new dog, I also had to continue to keep you fine readers informed about what’s going on in your area, so I brought Otis with me to work. However, he wouldn’t be able to accompany us to the new office. Nervous and worried, I had no idea what I was going to do with him during the day, as my special lady friend currently is a full-time student at the University of South Florida.
The New Tampa Pet Resort (NTPR), located in Lutz on County Line Rd. less than a mile west of Cypress Creek Dr. in Wesley Chapel, eased my apprehension.
Celebrating six years in business, NTPR is a spot for your furry friends to enjoy some “R & R,” while you and yours enjoy some vacation time, or just some quiet time away from your pet. Whether it’s just for the day or for an extended stay, NTPR has everything your pet needs to feel pampered and everything you need to feel comfortable leaving your pet.
NTPR owner and New Tampa resident Lisa Golicher says that she spent more than four years coming up with the business plan and actually getting NTPR built in its current location, which shares space with New Tampa Pet Hospital, a full-service veterinary care center.
Golicher adds that while she spent time in the telecommunications industry and served as the president of the Seminole County Humane Society, she decided that she wanted to come up with and open a “one-stop-shop” for pets, including veterinary services, daycare, boarding, grooming and some retail to make it easier on the customer. Cats, dogs, birds, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs and even hedgehogs all have been guests at NTPR.
“I wrote the business plan in 2003, approached my veterinarian, who now is my business partner (Dr. Mara Ricci, of Wesley Chapel), and we opened in 2008,” Golicher explains. “I’ve always had a love and passion for pets.”
In fact, Golicher and her family have four dogs at home: a border collie mix, a Siberian husky, a white German shepherd and a pomeranian-chihuahua mix.
NTPR’s mission is to offer its clients, “a full-service pet resort and spa that provides our animal family members with the same love, security, fun and care they deserve during their time on earth. A resort that is an experience for our pets, our clients and our employees.”
Golicher says that the idea is to provide “La Bella Vita” (Italian for “The Good Life”) for pets who live in and near the New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Lutz and surrounding communities.
Doggy Daycare, Grooming & Boarding
It all starts with personalized care that is based upon the temperament of the animal. Each day, dogs that are brought in for “doggy daycare” are gently introduced to each other to make sure that they get along, before getting separated into play groups. Bigger dogs are usually grouped together, as well as smaller dogs and high-energy dogs, to ensure a safe play environment for every pet.
“Daycare is perfect for those who are working that just want their dog to have that extra benefit of exercise and socialization,” Golicher explains. “It’s really good for our pets. Just like we need exercise daily, they do, too!”
Groups are taken outside to the massive, more-than-an-acre fenced-in yard to run and play, before getting a chance to take a supervised dip in the bone-shaped pool with “beach-access,” meaning that the pool starts at four inches deep and gradually gets about a foot deep, before dropping off to the five foot deep end for pets who swim. The pool also features a salt generator and Ozonator, which helps reduce any harsh chemical effects and keeps furry coats silky and healthy.
NTPR also offers on-site grooming, which can be done while your dog or cat is at daycare, or by appointment. Janet Martinez, who has been with NTPR from the start, and Tracy Propper, a four-year NTPR groomer, will have your pooch looking his or her finest by the time you come to pick him or her up.
If you need a few days away, consider booking a “villa,” for your pet. NTPR offers a variety of options for any pet. Each villa is constructed with high-end laminate and draining floors, not the chain link fence with cement floors that many imagine when considering boarding their pets.
Villas come in 4 ft. x 6 ft. and 4 ft. x 8 ft., with the option of a pass-through door, if you’re boarding two pets. If you really want your pet to have the ultimate resort experience, 5 ft. x 10 ft. private suites with actual miniature beds, TVs and webcam access are available. All dogs that are boarded have the option of going out to exercise with the daycare groups, at each owner’s discretion.
In addition to webcams, other technology is infused into NTPR that is a little more difficult to notice, but still beneficial to guests. The facility features separate air handling heating and cooling systems that change the air 5-6 times per hour with special filters manufactured for pet facilities to guarantee the freshest of air. There also is an on-site water treatment facility, as well as 24-hour video surveillance throughout the property
“We try to cater to our customers’ needs,” Golicher explains. “The perfect situation is when a customer has their dog groomed, has a vet visit next door and then leaves the dog for day care. That’s when (everything we have here) is really advantageous. It just takes away all of the stress of having to go to different places at different times for different services and trying to make all that work with your schedule.”
Golicher adds that, besides taking care of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s pets, the mission of NTPR also is to give back to the community, which it does through charitable donations. She says that each year, NTPR picks a new “Pick Charity.” This year, for every new customer, NTPR will donate $5 to “Island Dog,” a 501(c)(3) shelter that’s currently fighting to end animal cruelty in Puerto Rico, from which Golicher actually recently adopted Sandy, her border collie.
Trust Me, They’re Cool!
From the first day I brought him in, Golicher and her staff made me feel assured that Otis would be looked after (and worn out) every time he visited. He even has learned how to swim. Otis has gotten well socialized with other dogs and is better in public thanks to his exposure to other pups while at daycare at NTPR. I highly recommend NTPR to anyone looking for a place to drop off his or her pet for the day. Neither you nor your pet will be sorry.
New Tampa Pet Resort is located at 3513 E. County Line Rd. in Lutz. The lobby (which is fully stocked with baked goods for your pet and other toys and treats) is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.– 6 p.m., from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturdays and for prearranged drop offs and pickups at noon and 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, please visit NewTampaPetResort.com or call 949-NTPR (6877).
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