_{Hello, my name is Shawna, I am a licensed pet sitter, and the founder of Tampaws Pet Care. I am a pet owner and animal lover myself. I have owned a variety of pets in my lifetime, including cats, dogs, guini pigs, iguanas, turtles, birds,snakes, fish, and even a sugar gliders. Not only am I a pet owner, i am also very involved with local rescues in the Tampa Bay area and have been a volunteer/foster mom for Pug Rescue Of Florida for the past three years. This experience has allowed me to foster and care for a variety of pugs and given my first hand knowledge with dogs of all ages and conditions. I have experience with administering basic med ... View Profile}
^{Our dog daycare facilities include a variety of fun playrooms that provide everything an active pup needs, including space and supervision. Our climate-controlled playrooms are grouped by size, personality and play style to make sure your dog is safe and comfortable. As your dog ages, grows, and develops, they may switch playrooms as their confidence builds and/or play preferences change.}
Education: At Dogtopia, dogs don’t just play; they learn. We coach all dogs on every visit to ensure they live up to their full potential. They learn how to behave in social situations and be more comfortable around new dogs and new people. Our certified Canine Coaches provide quality care through 8-10 hours of open play with brain games to improve behavior and manners, and keep dogs engaged. Every Canine Coach is educated on canine body language, managing dogs in open play, special considerations of dogs in the playroom, preventing scuffles and much, much more!

How much does it cost to have a dog boarded?

Valid through 3/31/20 in US/PR/Canada with Treats™ membership. Eligible personnel include state & local first responders who are active, retired or volunteer, including: Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) & Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Law enforcement including State Troopers, Sheriffs, Sheriff's Deputies & Local Police. Not eligible: Federal-level law enforcement personnel (e.g., Border Patrol Agents, CIA, DEA, FEMA, FBI, NSA, etc.). Must provide validation of First Responder status to receive discount. Only one discount per stay.
When you need to be away, PetSmart makes it easy to give your dog or cat a fun getaway for overnight or longer. PetsHotel offers dogs and cats of every age and stage of life a safe, comfortable home away from home. It's the perfect pet hotel to board your pets with Standard Guest Rooms where dogs can bunk with buddies, Private Suites and Kitty Cottages for your favorite felines....

How do I start a small pet boarding business?

I began our company because of my love and connection with all animals from reptiles to giant breed dogs and everything in between! We are licensed, bonded and insured as well as members of Pet Sitters International. I am certified in animal first aid and have worked in a veterinary ER. So your you can feel comfortable that your Pawsitively Purrfect Pet is in good hands.

Our dog daycare facilities include a variety of fun playrooms that provide everything an active pup needs, including space and supervision. Our climate-controlled playrooms are grouped by size, personality and play style to make sure your dog is safe and comfortable. As your dog ages, grows, and develops, they may switch playrooms as their confidence builds and/or play preferences change.

What should I look for in a dog daycare?

Education: At Dogtopia, dogs don’t just play; they learn. We coach all dogs on every visit to ensure they live up to their full potential. They learn how to behave in social situations and be more comfortable around new dogs and new people. Our certified Canine Coaches provide quality care through 8-10 hours of open play with brain games to improve behavior and manners, and keep dogs engaged. Every Canine Coach is educated on canine body language, managing dogs in open play, special considerations of dogs in the playroom, preventing scuffles and much, much more!

How much does a dog boarding Licence cost?

Socialization: Dogs must be safely socialized with other dogs in order to grow into well-rounded canine citizens. The best place to do that is at doggie daycare. Although dog parks can be a fun outlet for both you and your pup, it’s hard to predict what types of dogs will be there, if they will be aggressive, if they will listen to their owners, if their play is safe and appropriate or even if they are vaccinated and healthy. At Dogtopia, we pre-screen and evaluate every dog before they are approved for open play and assign playrooms based on size and temperament. Although dogs can get sick just like at a child’s daycare, we also have a strict cleaning protocol called the Pet-Safe Cleaning Program that reduces the transmission of illness. Additionally, our playrooms are monitored by high caliber staff that is extensively trained in pack management and canine communication. Dogtopia provides a fun, nurturing environment where dogs are 100% supervised during open play.

Dogs like to play like dogs! They will run, chase, be chased, grab each others’ necks, fall down, bark, trip, pull on each others’ ears and tumble around. To pet parents, this play could look worrisome, but this is standard dog play! The Canine Coach in the playroom will monitor your pup to make sure they are safe and having fun playing with the other dogs in the room. If at any point your dog gets scared or overwhelmed, our staff will intervene.

“Everyone on the team at Dogtopia is super friendly and they all clearly love what they do. My dog always seems so happy to see them, and it's obvious that he has a great time with all his four-legged pals in the 'Gym'! With my demanding and sometimes unpredictable schedule, I'm very grateful to have Dogtopia as a reliable and convenient resource, and I'm pleased to recommend them to anyone looking for quality daycare and boarding.” - Jeffrey H.

Staff are just as critical. In speaking with staff members, a clear interest in animals should be evident. If staff seem annoyed by the dogs and cats surrounding them, are short-tempered or curt, you can expect their demeanor to be worse when you leave. Think of the kennel as a type of extended family — choosing the right service means balancing price with the comfort of your dog or cat.
We care about your dog’s safety and comfort. We encourage you to bring your pup’s own food to maintain their regular diet and avoid any digestion issues. You may consider bringing a little extra food for boarding as they burn a lot more calories in play than they typically do at home! If you forget your food for meals – no worries! We have in-house food for your convenience.
Your pet starts his day every morning at 7:30 am when we let all our guests out into our two play yards for large and small dogs, where they run and play for the next 2 hours while the resort staff gathers all the old food, water & bedding, thoroughly cleans your pet's suite and then puts down clean bedding, fresh food and water. At this time, everyone comes back in for breakfast, which is usually followed by a mid-morning nap. Throughout the rest of the day your pet is outside playing another 4 to 5 times during the day, usually at least for a half-an-hour, with the last play session usually around 10:00pm. (We play T.V., DVDs or the radio, especially in the evenings, to soothe your pet and give him the sense of home.)

Dogtopia is a very active environment, with the dogs interacting for several hours per day. Even if your dog did not run all day, simply being awake can make them very, very tired. At home, most dogs sleep the day away getting 18 or more hours of sleep. Although we have a two-hour nap, and the dogs sleep approximately eight hours per night, they will be tired. Please let them rest. We do not recommend that you take them to the dog park or any other social environment for at least a few days. 
Do dogs like being in kennels?