Eric Lewandowski is proving that you can teach an old dog day care facility new tricks.
Lewandowski, the new owner of Dog Play Day Care in downtown Mount Prospect, is working to turn the facility into a one-stop shop for canine owners.
“We do everything from dog day care to dog boarding to dog grooming,” said Lewandowski, who purchased the business at 301 W. Central Road in March.
The business also offers bakery treats and retail products catering to a dog’s needs, from tennis balls to shampoos to cleaning supplies.
It even offers a taxi service.
“We can actually go to (a customer’s) home, let the dog out at their home, and then play with the dog, feed the dog, whatever they need,” Lewandowski said.
The motto of the business is “For the love of dogs.”
Lewandowski spent decades advising pet businesses in Chicago and Michigan, and worked at dog day care and boarding facilities before taking the leap into ownership.
“I wanted to get a bit more involved in the day-to-day of helping dogs,” said Lewandowski, who has an English Labrador at home.
Longtime customers are likely noticing some changes. The lobby has been repainted and decorated with new signs, and there is new flooring in the day care and boarding areas. The exterior has been redone in Chicago-style brick.
The facility has capacity for 80 dogs. That allows ample space for dogs to be placed in play areas where they get along with dogs that share their personality types, Lewandowski said.
“We’re one of the largest, if not the largest, dog day care and boarding facilities in the area,” he added.
The business does behavioral assessments before welcoming a new dog.
“We’ll get to know the dog ourselves. And then from there, we will see how dogs interact with other dogs we know to be very friendly across all breeds and then slowly introduce them to like-minded dogs across our play areas,” Lewandowski said
Business hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday is a boarding day, with pickup/drop off from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Manager Danny Brown works with her dog, Bentley, on the counter at Dog Play Day Care in Mount Prospect.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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