Patty Lance knows dogs. She’s been training them for 33 years, and after a few negative experiences with boarding facilities, began taking care of other people’s dogs in her home the way she felt they should be cared for.
“I don’t like outdoor runs because dogs can escape. I don’t like leaving them unsupervised, because anything could happen,” says Lance. “I don’t like dogs in cages. I wanted it to be more like a home environment, instead of an institution of steel and cement.”
Her client list outgrew her home, leading Lance to open
Nana-n-Paws Doggie Daycare in
Grand Ledge in September. The facility includes a 9,300 square foot main building and 5,000 square foot training and rental facility on 10 acres.
“We also have an 11,000 square foot outdoor play area where and they are never unsupervised,” Lance says. “We have a bedroom and a kitchen here for staff to spend the night. Nine times out of ten we fall asleep with dogs in our beds.”
Nana-n-Paws Doggie Daycare offers boarding facilities with separate rooms for older dogs, small dogs, large dogs who love to roughhouse and those with more timid personalities. The facility also has a retail store, grooming services, dog training and some veterinary services.
“I just really love dogs,” says Lance, “and I don’t want them to be scared, I don’t want their feelings hurt. I want them to feel like they’re at home.”
Lance hopes to continue to grow in her new location, with such plans as adding a dog park to her property, coordinating adoption days with area rescue organizations. Eight employees currently work at Nana-n-Paws.
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