Pet Paradise resort to pamper West Orange’s furry friends

If your furry, four-legged friend would love to romp in a large play yard, go for a swim and enjoy being pampered, then you’re in luck.

Pet Paradise, a full-service pet resort based in Jacksonville, has broken ground on its newest location off Tomyn Boulevard in Winter Garden. The company has 35 resorts in operation or under development in nine states across the country, from Arizona to Fort Lauderdale. This location will be the 16th resort in Florida, and CEO Fernando Acosta-Rua said it should be open sometime in the third quarter of 2019.

The newer resorts are built to accommodate boarding, day care, veterinary and grooming services for dogs and cats. According to Pet Paradise’s website, the Winter Garden location will feature a design with more shade structures, trees, covered porches and misting stations in the outside play yard, with a swimming pool and splash area for the dogs. 

The goal is to provide a safe, clean and fun environment for pets while their owners are away. 

“The big differentiator is we really have passionate pet people that are dedicated to providing the best services to our pet guests,” Acosta-Rua said. “Our resorts are state of the art, with indoor and outdoor suites, an in-ground swimming pool and artificial turf. Ultimately, it’s the employees (who) provide that peace of mind for the guests when they drop off. Having that upscale resort with the high quality of service and care is what really differentiates us from everyone else.”

Pet Paradise also launched veterinary services in November 2017, and all new locations are being built to accommodate them. Older locations will be outfitted over time.

“We built our first prototype in 2005 at the Jacksonville airport, and over time we’ve refined the buildings and offerings to better accommodate the trends in the industry, and one of the big ones is the increase in (demand for) day camp,” Acosta-Rua said. “Our new resorts now have a lot more (room in the) play area. Tiny Town is also a new feature we’ve put in, as well as the veterinary clinic. All those are new features we’ve addressed in the new prototypes. There’s a live-in caretaker, and that adds another level of safety and comfort to owners.”

The Winter Garden location is being built on 3.7 acres and will include a 12,000-square-foot play yard and 16,000-square-foot building. For small dogs, there is a section called Tiny Town, which is separate from the big dogs’ play area. Cats get to enjoy multi-level kitty condos.

Other features include automatic watering bowls, private outdoor patios, group playtime and an air-conditioned, indoor pavilion. 

“We’re excited to come into this market; it’s another location in a high-growth area,” Acosta-Rua said. “I think customers will really like what they see when we open up in the third quarter (of 2019).”