Health, Safety and Security at Lonsdale Grove

In this blog post and over the next few entries, we would like to take a closer look at health and safety as well as security here at Lonsdale Grove.  We will also make some suggestions along the way for helping to keep your cat or small dog safe and secure at home or when out and about. 

 There were two major, yet very simple principles we took to heart when developing the concept of Lonsdale Grove.  Number 1, to protect the health, safety and security of each of our guests, and 2, to provide an enjoyable stay where owners would feel comfortable leaving their furry family members, and those guests would be happy and relaxed with as little stress as possible.  Although the family pet is always going to be most happy at home, we wanted to create an environment where they would be happy to stay.  While we can cover principle number 2 in detail at a later time, we think it is pretty clear when you visit us how the design and features of our boutique pet hotel, as well as our services here at Lonsdale Grove lead to a comfortable and enjoyable stay.  Visit our website and Facebook to see the latest photographs, or contact us to make an appointment to visit and see for yourself the Lonsdale Grove difference!

For now, we would like to discuss the even more important aspects of health & safety, and security we provide to all guests during their stay.  There are many aspects to the safe, healthy and secure environment we provide that we can’t begin to address them adequately in a single blog post.  We will start here by discussing the all suite design of our hotel and how it contributes to a healthy and safe stay for your precious pet. 

Old style open trough drain allows for bio waste exposure.

We stated emphatically from the earliest design and engineering planning stages of Lonsdale Grove that there would not be an open trough drain, so common in boarding kennels, that no pet would sleep in a cage or on a cold cement floor, and that airborne and waterborne contamination such as viruses and bacteria would not be permitted to travel easily from one animal to the next. 

Lonsdale Grove sealed and trapped drains.

This led to an all-suite design, with proper walls that go from floor to ceiling in the indoor spaces, just like a room in your home, for all of our dog suites.  Neither air nor water will travel directly between our suites from one dog to the next.  Each suite has separate, enclosed floor drains so if there were any wastes or during cleaning, nothing from one suite could splash, flow, aerosolize, or track from one guest to the next.  Each suite features beautiful tiled and sealed floors. 

The design also has the added benefit of noise reduction for our guests.  Because our guests aren’t standing starring at their neighbours through chain link, barking is kept to a minimum, and any noise in one suite is deadened by walls and insulation so as to be less disruptive to each neighbour.  This results in a remarkably quieter and more relaxing stay for each guest, where they can focus on their own comfort and relaxation, rather than being stressed by noisy and disruptive neighbours.  Our extensive HVAC system, the focus of our next blog post, and our sound and entertainment system that both service each suite individually, also contribute to reduced disturbance from neighbours. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Lonsdale Grove dog suite private patio.

Each dog suite also features an exterior patio space for sun and leisure on fair days.  The patios have walls on each side to protect from liquid and air contamination from neighbours, a roof to protect from the elements, and an open front end and gate to allow ample flow of fresh air and sunlight.  Each exterior patio also features an individual sealed drain with no cross-contamination from the neighbouring suites.  The floors slope to drain any liquids into the individual drain rather than through a community trough as is so common with ‘kennel’ buildings. 

Our cats can lounge in private condos in our quiet

Lonsdale Grove cat condos.

cat room, well removed from our dog space.  The cat room also features tiled floors, no open drains, solid walls and individual suites.  Cats can see the other guests of the room through solid glass windows in each condo, which also serves to allow ample light in.  Plenty of fresh, climate controlled air flows into the cat condos, and the entertainment system pipes in soft music or the sound track to the TV entertainment. 

During our next blog post we will discuss the HVAC and air exchange system that is at the heart of our health and safety efforts at Lonsdale Grove.