Pulse: At Your Service: Poodle Pride
1. Keep ’em coddled (and close)
Ease travel stress by dropping off your pup at Family Pet Resort’s brand-new, minutes-from-the-airport location. For $34 and up per night, your pet gets five-star treatment complete with maid service, soothing music, and lamb’s-wool bedding. Or pay extra for the ultimate upgrade: bedtime stories read to your pal. Seriously. 7401 Holstein Avenue, 215-365-4555, familypetresort.com.
2. Keep ’em busy
Got a jam-packed day? Take your four-legged friend to Wagsworth Manor’s day camp for healthy fun and exercise. Curbside pickup and drop-off and a report card providing details on your dog’s stay are part of the $32 full-day pass (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) at this impressive facility. Or try the Camp-n-Swim option — for $50 a day, dogs get the added treat of paddling in an indoor pool. 27 Spring Mill Drive, Malvern, 610-251-WAGS, wagsworthmanor.com.
3. Start a collection
Invest in a family heirloom: an original portrait of your pet created by Pratt-educated Harry Boardman. Working from his studio in Montco, Boardman will turn a photo of your dog or cat into a work of art in your choice of pencil or oils. Prices range from $150 to $1,675. 215-799-0266, portraitsbyharry.com.
4. Strike a pose
Got the world’s cutest pet? Have those puppy eyes captured by a professional pet photographer. We love this photograph by local Bernadette Uzcategui (484-222-1852, buphotography.com) and equally adorable ones by Lauren Kaplan at Pet Imagery (610-324-1755, petimagery.com). Rates for both start at $125.
5. Get primped
Bring the shop to you with certified master groomer Jennifer Lavelle of Broomall-based Kool Klips (610-931-9700). Not only will Lavelle get your pet gorgeous; she’ll teach you basic techniques to help you prolong the time between visits. Or kick Fluffy to the curb with South Jersey-based All About the Dog (856-296-8778, allaboutthedoggrooming.com), which offers house calls in a Mr. Softee-like van tricked out as a pet-grooming salon.
6. Go gourmet
South Jersey’s K-9 Pet Chef designs meals specifically for your pet’s needs, including custom-blended eats for those with diseases like diabetes. The all-natural results ($9.95 a quart) can be delivered to your home seven days a week, or picked up (for a bit more) at a local Whole Foods. 609-440-9252, k9petcheftlc.com.
7. Work it out
Dog walkers are so last year. The well-trained (and ridiculously fit) staff at Run Philly Dog Run will pick up your pup for a $40 hour-long jog, complete with warm-up, cool-down, water, treats and clean-up — while you lounge on the sofa. 215-385-0186, runphillydogrun.com.
