Some major additions have taken place at Sawgrass Pet Resort, so big that two ribbon cuttings were needed in the same day.
They both happened as part of the same open house ceremony on Aug. 18 that celebrated Sawgrass Pet Resort’s new boarding area and trail, as well as the grand opening of Sunrise Vet at Sawgrass.
An additional 2,000 square feet was added to the Sawgrass Pet Resort facility, which will be used as pet boarding space. Artificial turf was also laid down as part of the resort’s backyard and new fencing was placed around.
According to Sawgrass Pet Resort owner Kate Wagner, the renovations have been some time coming and she credited everyone that have helped make it happen, especially facilities manager Daniel O’Connell.
“He was at my first open house and now he’s at this one,” Wagner said.
She opened Sawgrass Pet Resort in March of 2020 and since then has been thinking of ways in which they can better serve the community.
The renovations required some late nights, but seeing the finished product and the amount of people who showed up to take part in the grand reveal assured Wagner once again that it was all worth it.
“Sometimes when I pulled up or would be leaving at 1:30 a.m. I would just sit there for a while and just take in its beauty,” Wagner said.
The renovations mean even more to Wagner because it was one of her dogs that helped her continue even through the long hours.
“My inspiration for it was that we needed a dog daycare, and we needed it to be one that we trusted,” Wagner said. “You’re not going to leave your dogs with someone that you don’t trust.”
Her dog Bella passed away on July 10 and there is a memorial for her at the facility.
“It means a lot, because our dogs were up there with us a lot during all of this,” Wagner said. Afterall, we did it for dogs like Bella and families like ours.”
Throughout the process and at the ceremony, Wagner continued to be blown away by the support from the community and the curiosity surrounding the facility and how it was coming along.
“I know they weren’t just coming because of me but for my dedicated team that I have working here,” Wagner said. “It’s a palpable happiness that we’ve created that you can feel when you walk in. The open house just continued on that feeling.”
Now that the ceremony has wrapped up and the renovations are in full use, Wagner is already thinking about the next improvements to be made.
“There’s always something we’re adding or implementing,” Wagner said. “I’ve also always seen us as growing in a more community sense.”
Part of that growth is a possible Trunk or Treat event that Wagner is currently attempting to plan to take place in the resort’s parking lot with money raised going to Safe Pet Rescue.
Although Sunrise Vet is a tenant of Sawgrass Pet Resort, Wagner said it seems like a perfect fit and that owner Dr. Melissa Johnson shares the same passion for animals as she does.
“I like genuine people, and I try to surround myself with them, so I thought she would be a great addition,” Wagner said.
