After being recognized by the Pet Care Association in 2003 as one of the first facilities to build a pool designed for dogs, I was contacted by a kennel owner in Australia who couldn’t believe his eyes. He had seen several photos of our pool with dogs at play and watched a live video on our website. His first question after contacting me was this: how did you get the dogs to use the pool? I told him we had done nothing special other than simply let the dogs go. He asked if we trained the dogs to use the pool, and I replied NO. He then asked if he could spend a day at our facility observing.

He flew halfway around the world, and after arriving at Pompano Pet Lodge, he watched the dogs play in amazement. He had built two multimillion-dollar, 225-dog boarding facilities, and each facility had a 30 by 60-foot pool. He said less than 5% of the dogs would go into the pool, and his employees hated having to take a dog swimming. He watched 70% of our big dogs and 35% of the small dogs in the pool having a ball.

With a heavy sigh, he told me he had spent $30,000 on a tile mosaic at the bottom of each pool and knew now that he had to fill his pools in with cement, covering the mosaic, to make them shallow. He knew he made a very expensive mistake.

Every boarding facility operator knows that one of the most challenging tasks we encounter while boarding pets is keeping them mentally and physically stimulated during their stay. It is also a well-known fact that exercise can help alleviate stress and reduce anxiety in a boarding situation.

Pompano Pet Lodge & Doggie Daycare, Broward County’s oldest and largest pet boarding and socialization facility, has created a custom-designed Disney-like water park with two in-ground pools, artificial turf, specialized UV shade tents, and fountain jets. Designed by facility co-owner John Glorieux, the pools are the largest commercial-grade canine-use pools in South Florida created specifically for dogs.

With the smaller campers and first-time skeptics in mind, the outside edges were designed to measure three inches in depth, giving dogs an opportunity to take a casual stroll around the entire two-foot perimeter before venturing out farther. Easily accessible swim-outs and gently sloping sides encourage even the shyest campers to explore their wild side! Of course more adventurous campers seem to spend most of their time running through the 22-inch-deep center, playing fetch, socializing, or playing under the fountains.

Another design innovation consisted of finding the right water purification system. With easy maintenance for the staff, it should allow the dogs to play all day without causing any dryness or damage to the coat, skin, or eyes. Glorieux decided to install a water purification system designed by Superior Aqua Systems specifically for commercial use in canine and equine therapy pools. Originally created in the 1960s by NASA for the first manned space flight, this ion and ozone purification system is more popularly used for water theme parks, such as Wet ‘n Wild in Orlando, and is completely chlorine- and chemical-free. Annual maintenance for this system costs $250 and takes 10 minutes per year.

To help beat the summer heat, Glorieux also constructed two commercial, porous UV tents to shade and cool the large shallow pools. These UV shade tents actually block 98% of all UV rays, allowing for a drop in temperature underneath by a cool six to eight degrees. These structures are available from several manufacturers throughout the country. Glorieux chose Shade Structures, Inc. These structures require almost no maintenance and offer a tent cloth lifespan of eight years or longer. They are also designed for the hurricane-force winds occasionally experienced at Pompano Pet Lodge in South Florida.

The original pool was built with 2,700 square feet of non-porous decking, which helps to avoid any slipping and sliding while campers are at play. The rest of the park was originally natural grass. A recent improvement to the park was the replacement of the natural grass and decking with a 69-ounce polyethylene turf, which butts right to the edge of the pool.

Not only is the curb appeal amazing, but the grass is green all year long. The dogs stay cleaner, employees stay cleaner, and the facility as a whole stays cleaner. There are no allergies or redness, which can occur with natural grass. There is no fertilizing, and the dogs can be in and out of the pool without getting the pool full of grass and dirt. When it rains (as long as there is no lightning or it’s not a downpour), everyone can stay outside. Even in a downpour, the dogs can go right back outside as soon as the rain stops. As an added bonus, overheating dogs have become a thing of the past. The turf used at Pompano Pet Lodge is Tigerturf Pet Turf sold by Synthetic Grass Warehouse. This is the most expensive part of the project at a cost of roughly $8 per square foot.

For two 5,000-square-foot parks, here is the total cost:

• Sprinkler relocation: $3,800
• Six-foot 9-gauge fencing: $14,200
• Two pools with filters and purification systems: $37,200
• Two shade tents: $27,200
• Trees: $2,650
• Fencing cloth, life guard stands: $2,300
• Installation of artificial 69-ounce turf with drainage rock base: $82,600

For additional information on Pompano Pet Lodge & Doggie Daycare or to receive further details on the design and construction of the wading pool, email [email protected].

John Glorieux has owned and operated Pompano Pet Lodge, South Florida’s oldest and largest boarding facility, for 12 years. He is currently building a second location, Lauderdale Pet Lodge, which is set to open Fall of 2012. John is available for consultation regarding most aspects of the pet care industry and can be reached at [email protected]

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