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Letter: Five-star pet resort

I spent some hours at a recent City Council meeting in regards to the proposed “Dog Hollidays Resort Kennel” at 2517 S. Grand Ave. I was so impressed with the presentation given by the veterinarians of this possible facility. It appears they have done everything in their power to make this a beautiful “destination location” for pets traveling to our beautiful town with their families.

As Lori Pohm, DVM, explained, our animals are no longer considered just “dogs and cats” or any other animal for that matter, but a beloved member of our family. The proposed kennel facility will be considered a five-star resort for the four-legged family members. This facility upon completion will be another destination attraction within itself.

It seems the chamber of commerce should be on board with this immediately. After seeing the plans for the “suites” for the dogs, a person can see this is no ordinary kennel. This is an “uptown boarding facility” the likes of which this valley has needed for some time. Kudos to these business owners who have taken a step to fulfill a definite need in our community and for our many visitors. I believe we are the only town in the Roaring Fork Valley with no overnight boarding for animals, and we are sadly lacking in daytime care for our furry children also. Let’s get with the times and offer our visitors something that is desperately needed.



The location of the facility may not be the best it could be because of the surrounding residential areas, but the building is perfect and the savings of not having to build a new building is astronomical. The veterinarians have thoughtfully planned for every consideration for noise and odor prevention. Some council members asked about the addition of traffic to the street. Due to that area being highly commercial and a widely used alternate route for the bridge construction, it is an extremely busy street as it is.

As Ms. Pohm explained, the two groomers combined would have at the most approximately 11 dogs on a daily basis and that number will vary from day to day. Also, the number of dogs boarding will vary from week to week. It is not as if the facility will be cram packed every day. That is the hope of the business owner, but the first year or two will be slim pickings as anyone with a business background knows when launching any new business. Until the business is advertised and becomes known, it is run on a wing and a prayer.



The council members had some questions about the dog urine that is to be rinsed into the ground and the effect it might have on the river. It seems to me that the vets have thoughtfully considered this and are doing all they can to make this a natural process.

During the winter, in the area of Park Drive behind my home where the dog park is, the city of Glenwood Springs dumps tons of snow from streets that have mag chloride and gravel mixed in. This snow is dumped in close proximity to the Roaring Fork River, so all pollution from sanding roads, cars and trucks melts directly into the river. This runoff of pollutants is less than 1/4 mile north from the location of the proposed kennel. I believe dog urine would be more organic than anything that is in the snow leeching into the drinking water of our neighbors downstream from snowmelt from filthy winter streets.

I understand the concerns of the property owners in the same vicinity of the proposed facility, but having to also make everyone on the opposite side of the river happy too is a big order. We live on Park Drive behind the high school, and homeowners on Park Drive have to hear everything that goes on on the decks and in the yards on Midland, but to call the police and complain is silly because really they are our neighbors just trying to live their lives too. We all have to give some leeway to our neighbors. From my understanding, at the kennel, the dogs will never be outside playing at night and will only be walked as necessary for bathroom breaks.

I am sure there will be kinks to work out, but the vets have done their due diligence to try to cover any and all foreseeable problems. I vote this is needed in our community, and if it can somehow work in the South Grand location, I challenge our City Council to do the right thing for our tourist-minded town and let this business go forward.

Michelle Ballinger

Glenwood Springs


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