From her very first day at La De Da Pet Spa, Gypsy came home happily fatigued after a day filled with outside romps with other dogs in her play-group and the loving attention of the La De Da staff. Soon, Gypsy was flourishing from her routine of exercise, fresh air and playful interaction with her 4-legged and 2-legged friends. She has grown into a confident, expressive and loving companion with a playful sense of curiosity and intelligence.

The benefits and qualifications of La De Da are numerous. First of all is the high level of professionalism and attentiveness to each dog's unique personality and needs. Before a dog is accepted for day care, Laura requests an introductory day to assess the candidate's personality and suitability. If a dog is accepted for day care membership, Laura and her staff place the "new kid" in an appropriate play group and then observe the interactions and success of the match. If there are any problems or compatibility issues, Laura works with other play group placements or alternatives until they hit upon a solution. What this highlights is the focus on interaction, socialization and supervised play rather than indifferent kenneling or warehousing of your dog.But the observation and management of your dog's behavior does not end there. Laura maintains a behavior tracking and passive obedience system which helps prevent an unsafe environment for all of the day care participants. Mild behavior problems which may erupt during the day can result in a "time out" for your dog. This means dogs exhibiting problematic behavior can be isolated to avoid an escalation of tensions and the correction of bad conduct. In the event of a more severe behavior or aggression, a dog will receive a "strike" on their record, in addition to being isolated. Should a dog accumulate 3 "strikes" they can be expelled from day care.

In addition to the day care services, La De Da offers grooming services and a report card so that you can track your dog's behavior during grooming and any hygiene, health or maintenance concerns that are observed by the groomer. This serves as a good independent review of your pet's skin, coat, ears, eyes and overall health status.

Yet another benefit is La De Da's assistance at times when your dog is not feeling itself or is recovering from surgery. The staff is competent in administering medications and have allowed Gypsy to attend on days when she could not play. Under these circumstances the staff will keep the "under the weather kids" quiet for a day of rest and supervision at times when you cannot be there.

I am truly grateful for Laura and her fantastic crew of groomers and handlers. Everyone on Laura's staff is professional and exceptionally affectionate and caring in the treatment of their canine clientele. I am also also appreciative that the services offered by La De Da Pet Spa are even an available option, as I am certain that without them I would not be able to have Gypsy in my life.

Cynthia Locklear
Gypsy's "Mom"