t’s all about the pets here at Lucky Paws Pet Resort,” says owner, Gretchen Fieser, enthusiastically. “Their care, safety, and happiness is number one with us. If we do right by the pets, everything else will fall into place.

“I love to be able to share the owner’s joy when they see their dog run and play off-leash, enjoying our pool, dog park, and other amenities in a safe, controlled environment,” Gretchen adds.

Lucky Paws Resort is a canine and feline paradise located on four beautiful acres in Freedom, Pennsylvania, and the guests of the resort really are “lucky.” They stay in luxury suites complete with private patios, romp and play in the wonderful indoor/outdoor dog park, and have the time of their lives splashing in the custom-designed swimming pool. And, that is just the beginning of the activities and pampering that they enjoy at the resort.

The hotel and daycare are housed in separate buildings. In the hotel, dog owners can choose a classic suite, a suite with a covered outdoor patio or one of the resort’s expansive family suites which have heated ceramic floors. The pups get lots of human interaction and are taken out seven times a day for potty breaks. And, music plays during the day for a homelike atmosphere. The entire facility has 24-hour security, a sprinkler system and HVAC with a UV filtration system.

The hotel guests are not required to participate in daycare, because not every dog does well in a daycare setting. Those dogs can schedule private time in the park or swimming pool, or do other activities like have private play or one-on-one cuddle time with a staff member. Boarding dogs are eligible for a complementary exit bath with a stay of five nights or longer. Lucky Paws also has a full-service grooming salon onsite to provide stress-free grooming services and spa packages.

Feline guests are not left out of getting the royal treatment when they stay at Lucky Paws. Every cat or cat family gets their own multi-level condo. In addition, they get to have free time in the gorgeous Cat House play area. The play area has heated hardwood floors, cozy furniture, cat trees for climbing, interactive things to explore and keep them stimulated, and huge picture windows.

Cleanliness and sanitation of the entire facility are the other high priorities. They also strictly enforce that every pet that enters the resort must be fully vaccinated and have a negative fecal for parasites and giardia.

The lucky pups that participate in daycare have an almost endless choice of activities. Each dog must be interviewed and approved before it can attend. There is a 6,000-square-foot indoor area that is especially popular when the weather is not conducive to outdoor play. It has a seamless, non-slip poured rubber floor that is comfortable and easy on the dogs’ joints and paws, and is easy to clean.

The indoor play area is connected to the one-acre, fully fenced outdoor dog park play area which is equipped with lots of agility and other fun play equipment like mountains and tunnels. There is also a large pavilion with picnic tables and benches.

Lucky Paws is famous for its fabulous outdoor swimming pool. The 3,000-square-foot swimming pool (Sorry, dogs only…no people swimming allowed!) has a slip-resistant beach entry for the dogs’ comfort and convenience, and then gradually deepens to four feet. Surrounding the pool area is special anti-microbial K9 grass.

Owners can schedule private time in the Lucky Paws outdoor dog park and rent their spacious 1,300-square-foot party room to hold dog and human birthday parties or other events. It has a full kitchen, private bathroom, tables and chairs, and a big screen TV.

In addition to all the fun they have at Lucky Paws, the dogs also have the opportunity to get a top-notch education. Lucky Paws offers a plethora of training options—from puppy classes and therapy dog training to agility, rally, trick dog classes and more. They also offer group and private lessons as well as “Stay and Train” and “Play and Train.”

Gretchen credits a lot of Lucky Paws’ success to the unmatched customer service she and her staff provide: “We build good relationships with the pets and their owners,” she shares. “Being transparent is absolutely vital. Even if things go wrong and you have to deliver bad news, be honest and deliver it truthfully. You need to have the trust of the pet parent to be successful. If you lose that, you will never get it back.

“You also have to have a great staff that really works well together to keep a facility as busy as ours running smoothly,” Gretchen continues. “Our staff of 24 is the backbone of the business. I feel very blessed and lucky to have such a wonderful group of dedicated people. We have team members who have been at Lucky Paws since I became the owner in 2014.”

Their website, www.luckypawsresort.com, provides a wealth of information about the resort. Visitors can see all their requirements and the services they offer, and even take a virtual tour of the facility. All of their boarding reservations are made online, which is a real timesaver for everyone, and the clients love the convenience of it.

Lucky Paws also has a large following on social media: “For me, it’s all about sharing the joy of dogs,” says Gretchen. “Pet owners and dog lovers love to see our posts of the pets having fun.”

When you speak with Gretchen Fieser, it’s apparent that she absolutely loves what she does, but she admits it can be tough and says that it’s not something that everyone can do.

“It’s a very rewarding career, but it’s not like most other businesses where you have a closed sign,” says Gretchen. “It’s 24/7/365. I sleep with my cell phone on. We are the busiest when most others are off—holidays, vacation time, etc.

“If you have children, it can be very challenging to juggle everything,” she continues. “You can miss family gatherings, school and social events because of a problem with a dog, or because an employee called in sick.”

When asked about her future plans for the resort, Gretchen says, “We are presently expanding and adding more family suites to the hotel. But, we’re not stopping there,” she says with a determined smile. “Because at Lucky Paws Pet Resort, it’s all about the dogs!”