Hello!

Our dog Mitsy loved the Spotted Spa Retreat which gives her lots of room to run and play with other dogs. In fact she likes no other doggie daycare and will hide in the car when being dropped off at other daycares, with yours she jumps into her cage in the van!

Thank You,

-Deanne

The Spotted Spa is the happiest place on earth!!! Our dogs go once weekly and whenever we are on vacation. We were hesitant to bring our dogs originally as they aren't the best behaved (blush) but Sheila assured me they would be well looked after - and were they ever! Our dogs know exactly when it's Thursday and wait anxiously at the door until it's time to go catch the bus. They whine and cry the whole way to the H2O centre and can barely contain themselves. Heaven forbid the bus is not there on time... Let the howling begin!

The staff at The Spotted Spa are incredible! They have a genuine love for dogs that just radiates off of them. We always know our dogs are in good hands when we drop them off.
Upon their return they sleep for hours! They are pooped!

The Spotted Spa is the equivalent of Disneyland for children and we encourage all dog owners to give it a try. Not only will your dogs love it - you will love it.

Thanks again to all the staff at The Spotted Spa, Alex & Krystal Luymes Diesel & Maverick - miniature pinschers

Smokey, my dog of 11 years recently slipped on ice and severely injured his left knee(ACL) and required surgery. We live in Vanderhoof, (100km west of Prince George) and the closest clinic that could provide the needed surgery was in Winfield. Because our yard still had 3 ft of snow which isn't completely gone until the end of April, rehab at home wasn't an option. We were desperately in need of a place for him to recover

I enlisted the help of Paws it Forward (a non-profit organization ) that is dedicated to improving the lives of dogs explaining our need and they posted Smokey's story on their website.

We had many offers from kind and generous people to foster him for his 8 week recovery but after talking with them, we and they realized it wouldn't work for Smokey(many stairs, small children, lots of snow and ice in yards
etc)

Sheila, the owner of The Spotted Spa also Emailed and volunteered to foster Smokey for the full 8 weeks of his recovery. His care involved keeping him in a confined space, being helped outside with the use of a sling(to give his knee support while healing),and administering meds for pain.

He had surgery at Tri Lakes Clinic and recovery was uneventful until Sheila noticed his urinating wasn't normal. She immediately phoned the vet and booked an appointment for him. They diagnosed kidney stones  and took measures to fix the problem. Within a few days the problem recurred and again Sheila was on top of things and back to Tri Lakes he went. The same procedure was done and surgery for removal of kidney stones was scheduled. 4 large stones were removed and 30 smaller stones were removed as well. This was a long and difficult surgery for Smokey. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the worst was over.

Incredibly the surgeons missed one stone and within a few days the problem with urinating reoccurred. Once again Sheila was vigilant and noticed right away......back to Tri Lakes for another surgery to have the remaining kidney stone removed.

Thankfully the rest of his recovery was uneventful and Smokey is now home in Vanderhoof enjoying the rest of his senior years....bossing 2 cats around, lording over our other dog, and patrolling 6 acres making sure the property is free of bears, moose, and deer.
We can't thank Sheila and all the aunties enough for their kindness, generosity. If not for their vigilance Smokey might not be with us today

Because Smokey's 8 week stay was considered a fostering situation there was no charge to us...this involved many trips back and forth to the vet...lots of meds.....and of course TLC.
All Sheila asked of us was to make a donation to Paws it Forward.

Sheila, the aunties, and the Spotted Spa are the BEST and would recommend them as the best kennel ever.

Thanks Sheila
Smokey, Diane, and Barrie

Thank you to everyone at the spa for taking care of Indy over the weekend. She was so tired from what I can only assume was four days of all out doggy frolicking. This is her trying, and failing, to stay awake once we got her home. -Sean Cooper

"Dear Friends,
Thanks for my amazying weekend getaway at the spotted spa.
So much fun! My people must never know: separation guilt = treats.
#happensatspastaysatspa - Love Indy"

I don't often leave town without taking Brew and Chudleigh, but if I must, Spotted Spa is the only choice. I know they are safe, loved and well cared for. They come home calm and happy. All CHudleigh's medications and special diets were always handled appropriately. Guess the best recommendation is how happy they both are to get there - they just bound out of the car without a backward glance. Makes me wonder who is going to have the better vacay! Sadly Chudleigh has passed, but Brew can't wait for his next sleepover.  Thanks, Everyone - it's so good to have your backup :) 
Trish Boileau
November 2012

We've been taking Calvin and Hobbes there for about a year now and they absolutely love it! The staff is awesome and Calvin barks and whines as soon as we turn onto teather rd! Even Hobbes is starting to peek out the window when we're driving up the driveway! Great way for them to spend the day when we're working :) even Calvin is tired after a day at the spa!

Sarah Badger
October 2012

We would like to thank the staff at the spotted spa for taking such good care of our two Dogs Bella and Buddy for 3 weeks. It was great to see their pictures on face book while we were away. Thanks again we will certainly use your services again.

Melody and Ron Brewer
April, 2012

From the Spotted Spa Facebook Page:

“Our dogs [Maggie and Seamus], have been coming to the spa for vacations over the past year and a half. They are always well taken care of and can't wait to get on the shuttle when it comes to pick them up again. Recently we thought that it would be nice for the dogs to stay at home while we were away and made arrangements with a dog-sitter to stay at the house. Unfortunately things did not work out as we had hoped. Mid vacation we were in a panic and contacted Aunties Sheila and Jacquie from Hawaii. Calmly, they reassured us and came to the rescue - picking the dogs up on the shuttle that day and keeping them loved and happy for the remainder of our time away. We knew the dogs were in the best of hands and having a great time. Let's just say we won't be trying to keep them at home again when they would rather be on vacation at the spa too!”

Fall 2011

To the Spotted Spa Aunties,

I don't know if there are enough 'thank yous' in the world to show our gratitude and appreciation. You ladies take such good care of Chuck, you really are his pack away from home.

He loves coming ( you can hear the excited howls coming from my car as we drive up ) and I love how tired he is at the end of the day!! :)
You really go above and beyond, it is so evident how much you care about the dogs. The hikes, and play times, bathing our dog even when he doesn't want it ( tee hee), giving us advice on training and so much more.
The transformation in Chuck's personality over the last year is unbelievable. From the first day when we were all a little unsure because he was such a little terror, to the super happy, calm(ish) husky he is today.

And all the buddies that he has met at the daycare!! OMG! We meet them everywhere.. hiking, shopping, walking... I can tell that they are from the daycare because Chuck runs right up, says a quick 'hey' to the owner and whoosh off the dogs take, playing and rolling in the dirt like they are back at the Spa.

Thank you for all that you do. And for taking care of our furry little buddy.

Deirdre and Shane
October 29, 2011

I get sooooo excited when the bus comes to pick me up, and after a fun-filled day with hiking and playing with my human care-givers and four-legged friends, I’m exhausted by the time I go home.  The field is kept clean, there’s lots of room to play on real grass and dirt,  and I feel safe.   Thanks to Auntie Sheila and her team for making me feel special. 

Neela T.
October 7, 2011

One of my favourite days of the week is Thursday.  That’s because it’s my day to go to The Spotted Spa.  I make sure I’m awake early and I wake my mom up so we can get ready to meet my shuttle that whisks me off to the spa.  One day mom almost forgot to take me to the shuttle, I kept trying to remind her until finally she “clued-in” and we caught the bus just in time.  What a relief that was!

My name’s Daisy and I’m almost 11.  Mom started taking me to The Spotted Spa when I was young and crazy.  She thought it would be a great way for me to make friends with other dogs and she also wanted me good and tired so she wouldn’t feel guilty about doing something without me after work. 

I have so much fun when I go to the Spotted Spa.  I have so many friends there and it's so much fun to visit them.  When I'm happy and having fun, I love to roll.  I don't roll on nasty things but I love to roll on the grass and I especially love to roll in the snow.  There's plenty of room for me to roll at the Spotted Spa.  In the winter, there's also lots of snow just for me to roll in.

Now that I’m older, my legs don’t work as well as they used to.  I still enjoy rolling and playing with the other dogs and I go on most of the hikes.  When I’m tired and don’t feel like hiking, I’ll choose to stay back, watch everyone and just chill out – everyone understands. There’s also plenty of shade for me so I can escape the hot sun.

Mom sometimes has to go away without me.  When she does, I just stay at my 2nd home -  Spotted Spa and with my "other family" - Auntie Sheila and the staff.  Mom says that she never has to worry about going away because she knows I’m happy there and well taken care of.   For me, when she goes away, it’s just like any other doggie daycare day that lasts a little longer that’s all. 

Auntie Sheila and The Spotted Spa staff are the best!!  Thank you for taking care of us!

Daisy (Lab-X)
(Translated by her Mom – Gail Swintak)
August 22, 2011

Chocolate labs are a bit spazzy.  Angus is the rule, not the exception. 

How happy I was when I found The Spotted Spa – an awesome doggie daycare where Angus could run, hike, play, get a bath (under protest), sleepover, ride the coolest van in town (and whine the whole way – sorry Auntie Erin!) and just be his regularly goofy self. The best part is he comes home completely drained (although sometimes covered in slobber from his affectionate doggie buddies – he is a good lookin’ lab!)

Angus aka “The Goose” has loved his Friday Spa days for about 5 years now!  Wow! 

What I love best:  the Alpha and Beta Bitches care as much about Angus as I do.   Once Angus performed a spectacular snow/ice wipeout – wrenched his back knee.  One of the Betas carried Angus all the way back to the house and Aunty Sheila called me right away – not to say “come pick him up” – but to say “we’re on the way to the vet”.  Angus was fine, just wanted a truck ride!

This winter Angus got out of the yard – Ahhhh!  LOST DOG!!! I was totally frantic, sent an email to Sheila about The Goose – she sprang into action, called her radio friends and got an A.P.B. issued for Kelowna to be on the lookout for a big, hungry chocolate lab. If that wasn’t enough, she drove the K-9 shuttle around our neighbourhood, because she knew if Angus saw it, he would come running. 

What Angus loves best:  Food.  Whadda ya expect? I’m a lab!

What a privilege it is to have caring, compassionate and super fun Ladies hanging with the Goose every Friday.  Plus pick-up and delivery service with a smile!

Thanks Spotted Spa!  Roo Rock!

Jen Bennett & The Goose
August 10, 2011

Hey!  Are there any Elvis fans out there?  If so, then you’d be familiar with the King’s famous song “Oh why can’t every day be like Christmas?” 
Well, in the Laing household, the song goes “Oh why can’t every day be like Thursday?’  See, Thursday is Corona & Roxie’s Spa day.  Thursday, everybody in the house gets a vacation…The dogs go to Disneyland for the day, the kitties, Bailey & Lucifer get to relax anywhere in the house without being on the receiving end of a rousing game of “chase” & most of all, Mommy & Daddy get to chillax after a long day at work, as Corona & Roxie are virtually comatose for 24 hours after playing so hard at the Spa!

The Spotted Spa truly is Disneyland for dogs, and our kids absolutely adore all of their Spa Aunties.  They’ve also had several sleep-overs & always come home healthy, happy & most importantly, exhausted ;)

 We’d never leave our dogs with anyone else, Aunty Sheila & the Spotted Spa girls, are, quite simply, the best.  If Corona & Roxie could speak, I’m positive they’d be sayin’
 “IS IT THURDSAY YET?  IS IT THURSDAY YET?  PLEASE LET IT BE THURSDAY!!!!!”

Sincerely,

Lori, Dave, Corona & Roxie Laing
August 10, 2011

Hi Sheila,
 
When Guiness first started visiting the Spotted Spa he was very shy towards people and other dogs. It took him a few times but he loves it now!!! The staff are great with him and he starts getting really excited as soon as I say he is going to doggy day care. He always is well looked after and comes home happy and completely pooped out.
 
Regards,

Carrie Grant
August 11, 2011

Gus was such a mischievous puppy and we knew that we had to do something to expel his energy and take away the boredom causing destruction of various items.  The Spotted Spa was recommended to us by a co-worker and we quickly discovered that this was exactly what our rambunctious puppy needed.  We were so thankful for finding a place where the staff had become his second caregivers - lovingly for six years.  The expansive acreage provided for lots of room to run around and play, along with having special pools for dunking and cooling off in, and Dog Town provided for shelter for snoozing in or getting out of the elements.  Gus never looked back when we droped him off - wagging his tail in delight - happy to be there for just the day or for a week or two of sleepovers - this was his home away from home, always returning to us happy, exhausted and played out!  We have moved away from Kelowna, but Gus always has a second home at The Spotted Spa when we go back to visit.  It is not so easy to find another place in Victoria that provides for the same facilities and care that you have given Gus over the years -- we miss you all and the wonderful care that you provided over the years.
August 3, 2011

Hi:

Cailin and I just got home from our Kelowna trip. Cailin spent yesterday the 23rd with you guys and you were right -- she slept all evening! She sure was a happy dog! You can be sure that I will send her out to you the next time I have to come to Kelowna which will probably be late November.

Thank you again for your kindness and attention to my dog. I loved the Spotted Van and when I went back into the hotel, many people asked me about it.

See you again.
Anne Ireland
October 09, 2009

Hello All,

We just wanted to thank you very much for looking after Zoe while we were in Ontario for the week. We know Zoe is a hand full and spoiled , and can be difficult. But you did a great job and she looks good and enjoyed her stay with you. We have used different kennels in the past and had some bad experiences. We certainly will use you wonderful services again and recommend you to anyone that seek the same.

Thanks again.
Tom & Heather Schmidt
September 19, 2009

There are 2 ways for me to tell if my Hailey (a chocolate lab) had a good time, 1. she doesn't want to get into the car to go home (she loves car rides) and 2. sleeps the rest of the day (when she would usually follow me around the house). Both of these expectations were met as she didn't want to go out your front door, and she could hardly get up to eat her dinner last night. Even today she is sound asleep and not interested in running around the yard. Although I'm sure tomorrow she will be ready to go and be expecting to get as much energy and attention as she got the last 5 days. Thank you for taking such good care of all the dogs in your care.

Roslyn
August 31, 2009

My name is Tara Hart. We have left our dog Gracie (young redbone coonhound) in your care on many occasions and each time we pick her up, she politely licks us hello and then pulls towards the door to go back inside. I love it when she does that because she is the kind of dog that prefers to be with her "people" rather than anywhere else when given the choice.

I also must add that I am continually amazed at what a wonderful place you have created out there for our dogs, not to mention the awesome extra services you provide.
March 21, 2009

Aunt Sheila and the crew are LIFE savers!

We have two wonderful fur kids. Shillaleigh and Barkley. Barkley is an older Malamute that while pretty independent still plays well with others, and even if moving slower these days still loves to play and hike when he can. Shillaleigh is a terrier cross and still a baby at 2 and half.. full of life and loves to cuddle, unless it’s another dog, than she can be VERY selective about who she will play nice with!

Both of these two have had fun at Aunt Sheila’s before and love to go visit but we have never had an emergency situation to deal with until.. the house caught on fire. Yup. A house fire!! The good news is that damage was minimal and everyone is OK.. but the kids had to stay with The Spotted Spa for 35 nights.. 35 NIGHTS!! That is a crazy long time to have someone looking after your loves!

Bug and Fuzz (as we call them) were in the best of hands. It all happened so fast, and yet Sheila was ready and flexible! Between not knowing exactly when they would be coming home to crazy me showing up in tears because I missed them so much the staff was so kind and accommodating. Plus as I mentioned my little girl needs some special attention, along with special food for her allergies she was a rescue and only plays well with select dogs. The staff at The Spotted Spa took time to make sure she got the exercise she needed when playmates weren’t around and to find dogs that would match her rather unique temperament.

Our lives were turned upside down, and it was truly a blessing the ease in which Sheila and the rest of the team at The Spotted Spa took care of not only our dogs, but also us. We will always be grateful!

Big hugs and sloppy kisses
Susan, Steve, Barkley and Shillaleigh
March 09, 2009

We recently had our dog, Darth Vader visit the spa and WOW!!!! We loved the location, and the rooms. I was especially impressed with the care that obviously goes into this place and to the dogs! As a mom as well I know the care that goes into daycare, and the attituide here was no different. Most dog owners I know treat their dogs as their children and there was obviously that care and concern shown by the "caregivers"! When we put Vader in the car he went right to sleep! I'm sure he had so much fun!!! Thanks so much for taking such good care of our family member!!! We appreciate it! We will defenitely be back and will recommend to all our friends!

Jaclyn Robertson
Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor
Head Guard Jewish Community Centre
December 30, 2006

From Cody, Skylar and Dylan Lawrence
Spokes Canine: Cody

dxzn,m iiz cc,mi lk ;; ' a lfadzsbv ieiurqlu9384k (Mum takes over the typing from Cody) Re ruv roggie rayrare ro ruch!! (Mum now decides to begin translating - Cody pronounces all his words beginning with 'r') WE love doggie daycare at the Spotted Spa! My two brothers and I have been going for two years now twice every week - we somehow work it into our busy schedules of napping, playing, eating, wrestling and napping.

Every Monday and Wednesday evening, our Mummy and Daddy say two magic words to us before we sleep - "Doggie Daycare" - we have such sweet puppy dreams knowing that Auntie Sheila will be there in the morning to take us to the spa. But a few weeks ago, Mummy decided she would drop us off at one of Auntie Sheila's convenient 'Shuttle Stops', this is OK too - but Mummy and Auntie Sheila like to talk and talk and talk and well, we have other stops to make! So, I have my brothers join me in a little song. We howl until the Shuttle starts moving or Auntie Sheila tells us to stop...

At the spa, I like to think I am top dog and sometimes the other kids don't know what to think of me... they think I am crazy sometimes, but I am really just trying to be more fun-loving! Dylan, my brother used to love Natalie, but she found a new playmate and now Sati is his main squeeze - Auntie Sheila says that Dylan works well and plays well with others! She is good at knowing what all of us like and don't like. My other brother Skylar, well, he only likes to do what Labs do best - play catch! I mostly see him pining away for Auntie Sheila - I think he is in love with her.

At the Spa we all love to hike, and run, and play with our friends - we have so much fun! Auntie Sheila is very good at keeping me and my brothers in line (we can be a handful) and because we love her soooo much, we all try to be very obedient. Thank you Auntie Shelia for your fabulous service and facility - we really LOVE and appreciate you!
May 16, 2006

My mommy and daddy are going on vacation...usually I would be sad, but not this time!!! Why??? Because I get to go to the puppy spa and see my old friends and make tons of new ones!!!

I just love it there. I run around so much at the spa, that when I come home I have to sleep for two full days! Thanks mom and dad for sending me on vacation too!!

Love Dakota
March 21, 2006