Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Palatial premises for your pets
When it comes to the holiday season, pet owners in Cape Town can feel relieved knowing their ‘kids’ have options to the best care facilities while they are away, writes Abhinanda Datta
EVERY year during the holiday season, thoughts of finding suitable accommodation for my dog overshadows all the festivity-related merriment. Luckily for Cape Town residents, there are several options to choose from.
One of South Africa’s premier dog hotels, @Frits promises a luxurious experience for your pet. They have a dog dormitory, which is standard shared lodging, and then there are the deluxe suites, which are themed rooms fitted with only the best goose-down duvets and are decorated to the nines.
Finally there are the premium suites which are a little more spacious, for the high-rollers of the animal kingdom who want to live it up in style. The rates are dependent on the type of stay, with daycare coming in at about R135 per day and the premium suites ranging between R350 and R550 per day.
@Frits hotel owner Yanic Klue has told the Weekend Argus that lodging aside, they also have a fully equipped spa and salon, a dog park, as well as personalised one-on-one trips up the mountain and along the beautiful local beaches.
“Our staff are present 24/7 and attend to the dogs around the clock. Our services are benchmarked according to international standards, and all of our staff members are well and thoroughly trained to deal with a host of situations pertaining to dog safety, and know how to react or respond if a situation arises.
“We also have a panel of vets that advise us on hygiene. We have an open-door policy to all vets to do checks on us.
“Additionally, if they are playing in our dog park and decide to dig for treasure, the only thing they’ll find is a pawdicure waiting for them because our custom ClearVu fences go deep to make sure that our guests are having safe fun,” Klue says.
The dogs even get to partake in Christmas celebrations. Employees sing to them, play only the cheesiest Christmas music and give the pampered pooches lots of treats.
For the safety conscious, cameras located around the hotel help owners to see their dogs enjoying all these facilities.
Bookings can be made online, via the hotel’s online customer portal, or via the front desk. Depending on the time of the year, bookings generally have to be made months in advance as the rooms can fill up quite quickly. Visit http:// atfritsdoghotel.com/
Sunshine Pet Resort offers some of the finest dog, cat and avian boarding services in the province. Whether you need daycare, night care or long-term boarding to accommodate a business trip, relocation or vacation, their professional staff will take fabulous care of your beloved pet.
The resort boasts kennel areas sized to suit the various breeds, including large kennels and cat cabins suitable for multi-pet households. Some kennels are equipped with heating. Charges depend on the pet’s size and breed.
Owner Joan Whittingham says they have large grassy areas for the dogs to run and play in, which is a part of their twice-daily routine.
They offer a brushing and bathing service, and the dogs are bathed in an imported Chris Christensen professional shampoo. For those pooches who like their daily walks, the resort offers a “walk and explore” experience and also playtimes especially designed for the younger guests.
For the busy owner, they have a pick-up and delivery service.
“Our resort is a well-established facility, owner-managed, and we are residents on the property. If you truly love your pet, you’ll be quick to understand the differences that make Sunshine Pet Resort such a doggone special place!
“We know that your pets are like members of your family and at Sunshine Pet Resort we treat them like members of ours.
“Our guests enjoy the spacious grassed shady play areas. Most kennel facilities do not have the space that we have, so they are much happier. We believe that if they are happy and get enough exercise, they eat better and sleep better and so do we!” she says.
For those who want to leave their cats at an exclusive place dedicated just to felines, there is Karen’s Kitty Kingdom. They have loft units that allow the top area to be closed off in the cooler weather. Each unit also has a heater for winter. There are little ladders that link the top and bottom areas. Litter boxes are kept downstairs and the food upstairs. The units are cleaned every day and fresh water is given twice a day.
Security is essential and hence they have double doors and no one is allowed inside the cattery unless the owner, Karen Mansfield, accompanies them. The rates are R90 per day for one day or R170 for two days.
If you are not leaving town but just need to send your pooch away for the day in order to prepare for the festivities, Canine Creche is where he can go. Owner Alanna Marquis says they are one of the very few daycares in South Africa that take in all dog breeds.
“We have, and have had, quite a few pitbulls, amstaffs and bull terriers and have never had problems with any of them. We are firm believers that it’s all about the upbringing and not the breed. Many are just misunderstood,” she says.
Aside from daycare, they offer grooming. It’s called Play-Wash-Play Grooming because that’s what it is, she says, grooming without the stress of being caged or in a strange environment.
The groomer has over 10 years of experience. Each dog gets treats and a brightly coloured bandana with each grooming session.
In summer, their big kids are taught to swim and they offer the choice of a free birthday grooming session or a birthday party for each kid on their birthday.
The cake is a peanut butter, honey and carrot cake with cheese sauce as the icing and it’s freshly baked on the morning of the party.
“We ensure safety primarily through constant supervision. We have seven full-time staff members.
“Daycare dogs need to be very social and of course all must be spayed or neutered once over six months of age. We also have our kids in two separate groups, our small and medium kids, ie Jack Russell size and smaller plus young puppies, and our larger kids group, which ranges from large spaniel size (14kg) up to around 45kg, and we split these into a further two groups based on size and energy level for group games. This ensures play is both fair and safe.
“Daycare for our dog kids is not unlike a human daycare. We encourage parents to choose us because they feel we are the right fit for their family. Our team is like a family and we are passionate about what we do and very dedicated to our kids,” Marquis says.