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Letter to the editor

A day on the job

DANA SANTE, 44: Owner, manager, Pet Planet, 535 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg

By ELLEN MOSES
Published June 1, 2005

How long have you operated Pet Planet?

Five years.

What kind of training do you have?

I had no animal background, except growing up with dogs. My grandfather was a dog trainer, so I'd always been around dogs. I was a dental assistant for 18 years and then just decided to open my own business.

How did you end up in the doggie day care business?

Well, first I opened as a grooming-retail shop and then realized that there was a need for dog day care. I had heard that it was being done in other places successfully and so really wanted to ... be one of the first in St. Pete to do that.

Have you always been in this location?

No, I started on Fourth Street in the 1100 block and was there for about a year. But it was very small and parking was an issue.

Was it hard to find a building to accommodate the business?

I was lucky to find this building. The owner was a client and the Realtor was a client, so it just kind of fell into my hands and worked out. It's got the old terrazzo floors, which are easy to clean up. It used to be a department store in the '20s.

What kind of hours do you work?

I'm owner, manager and I live here. I have a loft upstairs. So I am pretty much available 24-7. A workday for me is 12 to 13 hours.

What are your primary job responsibilities?

I start picking up (dogs) around 7:30 (a.m.) and spend about an hour picking up. Then I come back here and groom most of the day. And then if I have any pet sitting, I usually do that first thing, early in the morning.

So some owners drop their dogs off and you pick up some of the others?

Yes. I pick up for grooming, too.

How long do you usually groom?

From about 9 (a.m.) until they're all done, depending on how many dogs there are. Which may be till 4 or 5 o'clock.

How many people work here besides you?

I have one person in the morning and another in the afternoon. So two full-time people.

What happens in doggie day care?

Well, they come and they pretty much play all day long with each other, and that's it. And then they get to go out. We take them out once every hour and they get some outside time and a chance to go to the bathroom.

How many dogs a day do you care for?

An average of 35 a day.

Who brings their dogs to day care?

I think we have a very diverse clientele. We have a lot of nurses, doctors. Professionals, who work long hours and feel bad about their dogs left alone, bored out of their minds.

You have two large indoor pens for dogs. How do you divide them up?

Basically by temperament. We have the more calm dogs on one side and then the more rambunctious dogs over here.

How large is the indoor play area?

It's about 2,500 square feet.

So they spend most of the day inside?

Yes.

What happens when a dog misbehaves?

We put them in time-out for about five minutes. They usually have a change of attitude after sitting there alone watching the other dogs play. We don't have to do that very often.

How often do individual dogs come here?

We have different dogs every day. I have some dogs that come every day. I have dogs that come a couple of times a week and some that may come once every two weeks. Each day there is a different alpha dog and every day there is a different pack mentality. It's very interesting to watch them interact. How many pets do you own?

I have five dogs. I have a chow-Samoyed mix, a black Lab, two poodles and a Yorkie-poo. I also have two cats and two birds ... I can be with my animals all day.

What is your least favorite thing about the job?

Probably the administrative stuff ... and the business owner part. You know, I wish I could just come in and play with the dogs.

What are the rules for doggies in day care?

They need to be spayed or neutered. They need to be current on vaccines. And they need to play well with others.

How much does doggie day care cost?

Well, I have different packages - $12 a day with a package is the least amount, or if you don't have a package, it's $20 a day. Most people get a package.

Have you been bitten before?

Oh lots of times, but it's mostly during grooming.

What would your dream job be?

Oh, I think this is my dream job. I feel very lucky to be doing something I love.

[Last modified June 1, 2005, 00:38:18]