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It's Not A Dog's Last Resort

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By JOYCE McKENZIE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2007

THONOTOSASSA - Every morning on her way to work, Cindy Porter drops Rudy off at day care.

Although he is known to suffer from separation anxiety disorder, Porter said Rudy shows no signs of apprehension when she drives into the entrance of the site set within a 4-acre grove of orange trees.

'He's just ecstatic,' said Porter, a Zephyrhills resident who, five days a week, stops there before making the trek to her Brandon workplace. 'He gets to have playtime, and he loves the twice-a-day snack times.'

She refers to Rudy as her 'best child,' but he's really her 13-year-old Lhasa apso. No matter the circumstances, she said, the dog displays his unconditional love for her.

In return, she's happy to reward him with the attention and accommodations he receives at Rivers Edge Pet Resort, a pet care center on U.S. 301. It opened last year, and in addition to doggie day care, it provides boarding and grooming for dogs, cats and birds.

Amenities for boarded animals include pillows in their kennels, wading pools for them to splash in, nature walks for exercise and happy hours when they're served ice cream and other treats made especially for furry creatures. Also among the facility's offerings are a covered, screened-in outside patio lined with limestone gravel; an outdoor area surfaced with artificial turf; and an electrical jogging machine for dogs.

The business is co-owned by Yvonne Herrera of Parkland and Jane Myer, who operates the center and lives on-site with her husband, Greg.

'I was born into this,' said Myer, whose mother, Patty Lapinski, owns a boarding kennel in Daytona and whose father, George Alston of Berlin, Md., is a longtime professional dog handler and breeder.

Myer, who also shows dogs and horses, said she has qualified a couple of times for the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York. A dog for which she was the handler, a Clumber spaniel named Champion Clussexx Country Sunrise, won Best of Show in 1996.

It was at one of the Westminster shows that she met her husband, to whom she has been married for 16 years and with whom she travels the country to competitions.

Since opening the business, the Myers are happy to spend more time at home instead of their typical 50 weeks of the year on the road.

'The dogs that we board are kept exactly like our show dogs are and are groomed by the same groomers,' Myer said. 'These dogs are getting hands-on attention every day and the same personal care as our show dogs.'

Tom Andresen of Chiefland, who has known the Myers for several years and boards his affenpinscher and German wirehaired pointer at the center, has no qualms about the two-hour drive to get them there.

'When we travel, we try to leave out of the Tampa airport because they care for our animals as if they were their own,' Andresen said. 'They come back to us in better shape than when we dropped them off, and even though they're glad to see us, they are sad to leave.'

Kathy Smith drives her golden retriever show dog from Atlanta. 'If I can trust my show dog, who's rated No. 3 in the country, with her, everyone should trust her to take great care of their pets,' she said.

Palm Harbor resident Julie Kielps has used the boarding services for her two golden retrievers twice: once for two weeks and the other for a three-week period.

'When I took them back there after the first time, they practically pulled the leashes from my hands to get in the door,' Kielps said. 'They couldn't wait to see everybody there.'

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Rivers Edge Pet Resort

WHERE: 12580 N. U.S. 301, Thonotosassa

WHEN: Public business hours are from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

INFORMATION: Call (813) 986-1256 or www.riversedge pets.com.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849 or jmckenzie@tampatrib.com.

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