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Laurie Williams, owner of Pup N Iron, watches as MoMo runs over an agility ramp. Williams says the day care and gym will offer
Toby snuggles with Michelle Strong, one of the workers at Pup N Iron.
Tucker, a Dalmation, and the other dogs at the day care and gym enjoy hanging out in a plastic playhouse.
Rocky (left) and Seamus play tug-of-war with a ball at Pup N Iron dog gym in Stafford County. |
Adriane and Ali go to day care where they get to play in the gym or go to school. But their favorite thing is when they get to have a birthday party.
Adriane and Ali are Shih Tzus, and their owner, Theresa Philmon, enrolled them in Pup N Iron, a new all-in-one dog facility that opened at the end of August in Stafford County.
"Both my girls are members," said Philmon, who's a manager for an auto repair shop and lives in Widewater. "There's like a ton of stuff there. They love it. They run, they play, they just have a blast."
Pup N Iron, at 21 Perchwood Drive, is thought to be among the only facilities of its kind.
"We're the only place like this in the country," said Laurie Williams, owner. "I did a lot of research on it."
The 7,200-square-foot facility offers a variety of services to dogs and their owners.
For starters there's the noncaged dog day care for people who don't want to leave their pets home alone.
There's also a dog gym, which Williams describes as an indoor dog park, but safer because all the dogs are temperament tested and their shot history is checked before they are allowed in.
"If you just take them to a dog park they could be exposed to tons of things," Williams said. "The dogs could have all kinds of parasites. They could've never had a shot in their lives."
Philmon says Adriane and Ali enjoy the gym, which is sectioned off to separate small and big dogs.
But dogs can do more than run around and play at the gym. Williams, knowing that physical fitness is important to both pet and owner, is planning organized exercise routines--everything from yoga, to pup chi.
"I'm actually a yoga instructor, too," Williams said. "We're going to have interactive fitness classes. We're going to have all kinds of things."
As for dogs who are getting older or have been in an accident, Williams has plans for them, too. Those dogs will soon have a therapy pool. Other dogs could use the pool, too, swimming in it against the current, which would improve endurance, Williams said.
Pup N Iron also offers classes, and birthday parties.
Just about the only things not offered are grooming, boarding and transportation to
"I've been a dog trainer for 25 years, that's how I got the idea," Williams said. " I knew people wanted to do things with their dogs. So I studied the pet market industry, and with this county growing, I knew if I built it, they would come."
Pup N Iron had its grand opening Aug. 27 with seven employees. Since then, the doggie gym has 15 customers.
"We'll be able to take quite a few pets," Williams said.
Prices vary, but for a year membership, which includes day care, gym and classes, the cost is $600.
For more information, call Pup N Iron at 540/
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