EAST BAY, N.S. — A salon and spa owner's love of dogs has lead her to open a second business in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
Tracie Breskie, owner of Tracie's Salon and Spa in Sydney, is getting ready to open Island Dog Lodge this spring with her partner Lorne Burke.
More than babysitting for your pet, Breskie said a dog's stay at their lodge will be more like going to a therapeutic vacation spot.
"Our goal is to have the most holistic, naturalistic approach with each person's dog who comes to stay with us," said Breskie, who is a dog trainer and has been a show dog handler.
"We are going to spend time building a relationship with each dog, so we can meet their needs, whatever they may be ... If you come and stay with me, your dog is more like a family member."
Located in East Bay, Breskie bought the former church hall that will feature rooms for the canine guests who stay overnight, in which music and television will play for entertainment. There will be different activities scheduled like hiking and swimming, as well as personalized raw meal prep.
Along with overnight stays, Island Dog Lodge offers full-day and short stays as well, helping accommodate dog owners who only need pet care for a few hours. Therapy and rehabilitation sessions will also be offered at the lodge.
"I have four large dogs, I'm in the show dog world, I've been a handler for many years ... I know what I went through with my dogs when leaving them or what I wanted if they were staying somewhere," Breski said.
"With my dogs, they are large breed dogs and they grow fast. To source the help I needed for their diet, for their fitness, for their well-being, was really hard. So I want to be able to do that for other people."
Breski's dogs are also her staff, helping her work with other dogs who come for training. Although they are large breeds, Breski has trained them as emotional support animals and has flown with them.
Along with experience as a dog trainer, Breski is also a certified canine massage specialist and can work with dogs of any age, creating individualized programs based on their wellness needs.
Renovations are still underway and like many construction projects, there have been delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plus, the forced closure of non-essential businesses as a COVID-19 health protection measure put another hold on things and Breskie said once they reopened, her focus had to be on her salon and spa.
Breskie is hopeful there will be no more delays and Island Dog Lodge will be open this spring, bringing to life the years of planning she did in her head.
"I always knew I would eventually do this."
Nicole Sullivan is an immigration/diversity and education reporter for the Cape Breton Post.
