From the very beginning, man’s relationship with dogs has always been about companionship. Inside the Chauvet Cave in France, footprints in dried mud made by a boy and a dog walking side-by-side were found and have been dated to be 26,000 years old. In Israel, the gravesite of a woman was uncovered, and she was clearly embracing a small dog. She lived 16,000 years ago.

The bond people have with their pets is a love unlike any other. That love is the driving force behind the Olde Towne Pet Resort located in Northern Virginia.

About ten years ago, Leah Fried and her father, Mark Fried, took a bold leap when they decided to design and build a luxury pet resort. They didn’t want to build just a boarding kennel to house dogs and cats; they wanted to build a true pet resort (almost a new category of pet care) where the animals were pampered and cared for in a fabulous setting.

“My dad always said to me, ‘Do what you love,’” says Leah Fried-Sedwick. “And we love dogs! In the late 1990s when we were thinking about this project, it was estimated that people spent about 20 billion dollars on their pets. In 2012, the estimate is 50 billion and growing. Sixty-five percent of Americans own pets, but they’re not just pets; they are family members.

“We worked with architects and other pet owners, and we came up with a building design that we felt covered everything,” said Ms. Fried-Sedwick. “We built our first resort in Springfield, Virginia, and now have a second location in Dulles. Each building encompasses 30,000 square feet and has outdoor areas as well.

“Opening a luxury pet resort was a huge risk,” Ms. Fried-Sedwick continues. “Almost anyone can open a daycare in a rented building with very little financial investment. But we felt that there were enough people out there that were as passionate about their pets as we were and that wanted their pets to have the special activities and attention they deserved. We went forward with our plans to build the best and most luxurious accommodations we could design.”

From concept to completion, the Olde Towne Pet Resort was built to ensure the comfort, safety, and pleasure of their canine and feline guests as well as their owners.

Visitors are promptly greeted by a friendly, well-trained staff as they enter the building. The spacious, immaculate reception area welcomes guests with fresh flowers, fabulous artwork on the walls, and award-winning bronze sculptures.

“When you enter our facilities, you don’t smell dogs, and you can’t hear barking either,” says Ms. Fried-Sedwick. “We invested in very high-quality air filtration – there is a complete and total change of air every three to four minutes. This helps to virtually eliminate communicable diseases such as kennel cough. And everything is constructed with materials designed to reduce noise – which also reduces stress on the animals and on people.”

Each location can accommodate about 230 dogs and 60 cats. The cats have their own wing with separate ventilation, kitchen, and laundry facilities. They have their own suites as well as the multi-tiered Kitty Camp areas.

There is natural sunlight all throughout the two-story resort, and every boarding suite has either a tinted oversized window or a skylight. Owners can select the suite package that best suits their pet – from their Classic to the Club Canine. All dogs receive at least three walks a day and one-on-one playtimes. All of the suites have automatic water fountains and comforts such as raised beds. Many of them are equipped with televisions and webcams.

“We all know how difficult it is to be separated from our pets,” says Ms. Fried-Sedwick. “That’s why we have webcams in our day camp areas, the swimming pools, and in many of our suites. The owners can stay connected with their pets and see what they are doing.”

There are lots of fun activities for pets that are boarding and those that attend the day camp (doggie daycare). Day camp takes recreation and socialization to a new level as the dogs interact with each other and enjoy all the play equipment. Day camp dogs are grouped by size and temperament. There are never more than ten dogs per staff person. “Pawlates” workouts, canine conditioning, personal training, and even an outdoor professional-grade agility course is available to all the resort guests.

Each location has an indoor heated lap pool that is filled with ozone-purified (low chlorine) water to be gentle on the dogs’ coat and skin. There is a ramp entry for easy access, and hydro jets provide therapy for dogs that are rehabilitating from injury or surgery – and for the dogs that just want to have fun swimming.

Olde Towne Pet Resorts offer classes in group obedience, etiquette (basic manners), and agility training. The Day Spa at the resort offers massage services, specialized skin and coat treatments, and a wide range of grooming options including aromatherapy and spa baths. The on-site retail boutique has the latest fashions, toys, and treats.

“Our staff of approximately 100 at each location is integral to our operations,” says Ms. Fried-Sedwick. “We actually follow the Ritz-Carlton Hotel model of employee engagement (when you take care of your employees, they will take care of each other and your business). In fact, we send all of our managers to the Ritz-Carlton for leadership training. We go the extra mile to make sure that our customer service exceeds client expectations.”

The Olde Towne Pet Resort offers many special services. A limo van can pick up or deliver pet guests right to their doorstep – or even pick them up from or take them to the airport. Concierge service is available to handle special requests, and large rooms are available for birthday parties, community events, and seminars.

Pet safety is also paramount at the Olde Towne Pet Resort. They have 24-hour staffing, above- and below-ground perimeter fencing, and double redundant exit doors to prevent accidental escapes.

You can take a tour of each of the facilities through their live webcams and photo gallery on oldetownepetresort.com. Their website is packed with information about the resort, showing all of its features, listing the policies, and explaining all the unique services they offer.

Everything at the Olde Towne Pet Resort focuses on providing the utmost in safety, unlimited fun, and incomparable service for their guests – and peace of mind and satisfaction for their owners.

Many things have changed since that young boy and his dog walked together 26,000 years ago, but our relationship with our pets is still all about love and companionship. Just ask any guest of the Olde Towne Pet Resort.

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