Your pet may beg for more

Tribune photo by SCOTT ISKOWITZ The Lodge at New Tampa is an upscale boarding house for dogs. It also accepts cats and birds. The New facility is adorned with upscale Western decor.

"When I picked him up last time, he was all played out," Linnea Olsson said of Tucker. "He was really happy."

That is the kind of testimonial veterinarian Ken Judson and his wife, Carla, hope to build on while their new business, The Lodge at New Tampa, establishes a client base.

Open for less than a month, The Lodge is a luxury boarding kennel that caters to dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and small exotic animals owned by pet lovers willing to pay a little extra to ensure the family pet enjoys top-notch accommodations at its temporary home away from home.

The interior of The Lodge appears more appropriate for a Kentucky Derby winner, but there is no room at the inn for thoroughbred horses. The Lodge was built with man's best friend in mind.

Johnny Cash, a 5-year-old golden retriever, and Tucker, a 98-pound Labradoodle, were among the first dogs to board at the animal lodge. Sushi was the first cat there.

"The pets seem to really enjoy coming here," Ken Judson said. "I haven't seen one yet that had to be pulled through the door."

The facility offers high-end pet services, from pet spas to day care to individual suites and condominiums. Most services cost less than $70 a day, the Judsons said.

More than 200 people have stopped by for a tour. More than 50 pets were registered to be boarded there during the extended Memorial Day holiday weekend, Carla Judson said. An official grand opening will be in October.

Inspired by the Western decor found, in of all places, a New England steakhouse, The Lodge took four years from concept to completion.

The Judsons sold their veterinary and boarding kennel businesses in Connecticut more than a year ago to focus on the New Tampa project.

The couple worked with SunTrust Bank to finance a 16,000-square-foot complex on three acres at 15403 Morris Bridge Road, a rural, two-lane stretch south of Cross Creek Boulevard.

The project transformed a site with a ranch-style house and live oaks into a neatly landscaped parcel sprinkled with elms and an attractive, dark-gray building that resembles an upscale stable.

Richard Bacon of Clearwater designed the building that features an exterior constructed of low-maintenance, impact-resistant planks and cobblestone veneer siding. The contractor, Don Stine Construction Inc. of Plant City, took a year to complete the job. Most of the four years were spent securing proper building permits.

The couple were persistent in their quest for a zoning change to remove some live oaks from the site, Carla Judson said. They worried acorns falling from the trees could be harmful to the dogs if they ate them.

The Lodge also houses a private dog park, four fenced exercise areas and other outdoor venues aimed to attract discriminating pet owners and their pets to various social events.

The main building features a lobby with a beamed, vaulted ceiling, a massive fireplace and opulent, Western-themed antique furnishings.

"We are not worried about the dogs jumping on it," Ken Judson said of the furniture bought at antique stores across the country. "It just adds more scratches."

Carla Judson didn't spare any expense on the decor. "We wanted to create a home environment," she said.

An enormous chandelier with entwined antlers cast light on a king-sized sofa and chairs made of leather, rawhide and other durable fabrics. A pair of saddles purchased at a Denver antique shop are displayed near the front door.

A giant moose head, mounted on the wall opposite the front desk, is the focal piece in the room. They named it "Bugaboo" for the restaurant in Manchester, Conn., where the family was dining when they decided to invest in a local animal lodge.

The business also features an outdoor swim and splash pool, a play area with artificial turf, a fire pit and covered patio. Each building is equipped with smoke detectors, fire sprinklers and a high-tech security system.

The doggie boarding area includes 69 air-conditioned "lodge rooms" with thick, padded bedding, elevated bowls and private lanais; 44 junior and luxury suites are outfitted with the same amenities as well as wall-mounted cameras to allow pet owners 24-hour Internet access to peek in on their pets.

Johnny Cash's owner, Jorge Domecq of Cory Lake Isles, said the online monitoring service eased the stress of leaving his dog at The Lodge the first time.

"I checked online at midnight and they were there giving the dogs water," Domecq said. "They shocked me."

The Lodge, which staffs 15 employees, is open from 6:30 a.m. to late in the evening five days a week, Carla Judson said. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

The couple and their daughters, Kathryn, an 18-year-old senior at King High International Baccalaureate; and Natalee, 15 and a freshman at Freedom High, live in Tampa Palms.

They keep the cats, birds and exotics such as hamsters, rabbits and fish, safely tucked away in the main building. The cats have free range of a lanai, where they can play in a multileveled enclosure, when they are not roaming around their private four-story condominium.

Jonas Urba of Brandon said he and his partner had been searching for some place special for their 1-year-old cat, Sushi, when they discovered The Lodge Web site, www.thelodgefordogs.com. They were hooked after touring the property.

"Sushi was exploring the four-level condominium immediately," Urba said. "We will bring her back for sure."

Olsson, who travels a lot for work, said she fell in love with The Lodge the moment she saw it. She is thrilled to have a boarding facility for Tucker so close to home. She had been boarding him at a kennel in Land O' Lakes.

The Judsons, who have spent nearly 35 years tending to animals, have two dogs of their own. Hidalgo and Sakari are borzois, a breed of thin, large dogs also known as a Russian wolfhound.

"They have inspired us to do great thing for dogs," Carla Judson said. (Source: KENNETH KNIGHT,Northeast News & Tribune)