Armin, age 11, and Meika, age 10, are our babies. They also happen to be giant schnauzers, and the inspiration behind Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa.

In the past, when we traveled, we always had to put our dogs in kennels, for lack of a better option. However, Armin and Meika – as well as Liebchen and Sieger, our beloved giant schnauzers before them – would often come home thin and ill. They wouldn’t eat, they always seemed sick, and we got to the point where we needed to find a better solution for them when we went on vacation. We loved staying in four-star hotels, so we figured, ‘why not give our dogs, as well as other dogs, the same luxury experience?’

We spent years touring pet facilities from coast to coast to get a better idea of what we wanted Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa to be. We knew that we could be “paws and tails” above what the rest of the area had to offer, and still be competitively-priced. In early 2016, we decided to move forward with making Happy Hounds Hotel a reality.

We want our guests to feel at home when they stay with us, so we decided to offer luxury suites, as opposed to cages or kennels. Each suite offers a custom-made bed with a blanket, or a raised Kuranda bed and blanket. Our number one goal is to make dogs comfortable during their stay, so some of our suites offer televisions, and most offer cameras so pet parents are able to check in on their fur babies.

All of our overnight guests are also enrolled in our doggie daycare program, so they won’t be cooped up during their stay, and can also make new friends with our day guests. We also opted to offer a full service spa for our guest to enjoy.

In fact, all of our managers have had extensive training with a national training organization, which includes temperament testing, behavioral language, emotional states, stress, aggression, and human and dog social interaction. All of our staff has been extensively trained by senior management, and 12 of our 13 employees have been certified in doggie CPR.

In addition to Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa, we also own and operate Jamestown Advanced Products, a sheet metal fabrication shop.

Although Jamestown Advanced and Happy Hounds Hotel are very different, the principles of the business remain the same. We strive to deliver superior quality and outstanding customer care, while providing an environment that both challenges and provides personal satisfaction for our staff members.

Jamestown Advanced is, and will continue to be, our first business together. Happy Hounds gives us the comfort that our dogs and others will be in the lap of luxury, safe, and healthy.

Lee and Wendi Lodestro
Co-owners
Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa