by Trenton Albers

New Dogtopia offers amenities to man's best friend

Area dog owners now have more options when it comes to their pet care during trips or just the typical workday.

Dogtopia of La Vista, 3239 Portal Drive, is now up and running and owner Nicholle Reisdorff says she is excited to get things rolling.

"I've already had daycare clients in the last week and a half, and I also have boarding clients scheduled all the way up through May," Reisdorff said.

Her facility offers dog owners the chance to drop their dogs off during the day while they are at work - or they can even leave them overnight during trips or vacations.

Reisdorff said other services include grooming such as baths, nails and ear cleaning. She is also hoping to soon hire a professional groomer so customers can bring their dogs in for haircuts and full grooming services.

"Also, I've teamed up with Bonafide Dog Academy and they are going to be holding training classes starting in March," Reisdorff said.

Training classes will include basic puppy and obedience classes, among other high-demand classes.

For Reisdorff, who has a master's degree in forensic psychology, owning and operating a daycare for man's best friend is a change from what she is used to.

"This is new to me," Reisdorff said. "I wanted the challenge of owning my own business and I have this passion for dogs and it seemed like a good fit."

Reisdorff, whose love for dogs dates back to elementary school, decided to ally with the Dogtopia franchise after she researched their business model. She said the franchise gave her the support and guidelines to work under, but she could also manager her business freely in the way she wanted.

For dog owners who may worry about their dog being cooped up, Reisdorff said their pets will get plenty of playtime. During a dog's stay, she said, most of its time would be devoted to free-roaming person-to-dog and dog-to-dog contact and playtime. Dogs would be separated by size and temperament into one of the facilities three large playrooms. The only time a dog would be put in a crate would be during mealtime and naptime.

Also, for those pet owners who constantly worry about their dog's well being, the facility is installing web cams so that owners can view their dog at work or during a trip.

According to Reisdorff, Dogtopia also has very strict sanitation guidelines.

"We have a pretty strict cleaning schedule," she said. "We are required after a dog relieves itself on the floor to clean it up immediately."

She said all the facilities rooms get mopped down with pet friendly bleach once a day as well.

Dogtopia will be holding its ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 6 followed by its grand opening the next day, Feb. 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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