Dec. 16, 2020

Indoor swimming has arrived at a Sioux Falls pet resort.

Paws Pet Resort has added multiple indoor pools plus a dock diving area as part of its second building, which allowed the business to double its space.

The larger pool is 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and 5 feet at its deepest.

A kiddie, or puppy, pool is about 6 to 8 inches deep.

The pool area has been open only a few days but already is filling up with canine swimmers, said Allie Wyant, community outreach coordinator.

“They really love it,” she said. “We had a lot of dogs sign up after word got out that the pool is open, so they’re having a lot of fun. Some who haven’t gone swimming are a little standoffish, so we use life jackets. And if they’re in day care, we send them home with a pool evaluation.”

Jeanine Hoff Lubben opened the business in February 2018 at 7121 S. Cliff Ave. The business offers day care, boarding, grooming and training services. The resort also boards cats. The second building allowed it to increase the number of available kennels by about 60 percent.

The new addition includes a self-serve spa as well, where owners can bathe and dry their dogs. There’s also a dryer in the pool area.

Pool time is available as an add-on for dogs in the Paws day care or boarding programs, or owners can bring them for open-swim times throughout the week. On Sunday, a Surf ‘n Turf promotion offers pool time and access to indoor and outdoor play areas for $35 from 2 to 4 p.m.

There’s also a monthly membership option for swimming. To learn more about rates and times, click here.

“And we have private rentals where that would be just the pool to yourself, maybe three dogs from the same household, or you can add some additional dogs for a birthday party,” Wyant said.

Owners are welcome to stand and help from the ledge but probably should leave the swimsuits at home, she said.

“But it does go through a cleaning process, and we have really awesome filters in there taking care of everything.”

The dock diving area is booked separately.

“We just want to make sure people know how to use the dock safely,” she said.

It has been a steady year for the business, which also has an outdoor pool that will open again in the spring. Its business model includes giving back a portion of its earnings to various charities, including those that serve dogs.

“Gearing up for Christmas, we’re pretty much 100 percent booked for Christmas, so that’s been a really big blessing to use the two buildings,” Wyant said. “And it means we can serve more clients throughout the year, so we’re going to be able to gift to charities even more than we did before.”