Tweet

A puppy playground of epic proportions, Paws and Pints is offering everything a dog lover would want in a retreat for their four-legged best friends. Boasting a 16,000-square-foot dog park, a 10,000-square-foot dog hotel and spa called Mo’Tail and Spaw, a 3,800-square-foot rental space for dog training, and a 2,850-square-foot rental space for a veterinary clinic (coming 2023). This mammoth structure not only houses Your Best Friend’s Bar (YBFB) which offers a full-service bar, snack kitchen, and coffeehouse, but it also has The Bonetique. This small, dog grocery store has everything for your furry friends from food and treats to clothing,  toys, and even human clothing and goodies.

Imperial Canine Obedience is renting the space for dog training and has garnered 5-star reviews from its customers already. Tiffany Saenz is the owner who has been training dogs since she was 16 years old and boasts two gorgeous, show-quality Doberman Pinchers. The  astoundingly large dog park stands out the most. It was built with a focus on the best experience for dogs and their owners. Using artificial grass and a drainage system underneath allows dogs to use the bathroom and not have to worry about foul smells in the facility. With doggy cleanup crews and cleanup stations located around the dog park, it makes for a pleasant experience and  improves the hygiene of the facility.

Running a 14-million-dollar facility, covering 3.5 acres of land, would take someone special, who has the mindset to look out for the well-being of the cuddly creatures many of us call our best friends. Keith “Porkchop” Jones, the Facility Manager of Paws and Pints, oversees the park. Porkchop has been a dog lover since he was a young kid and cannot remember a time without a dog in his life. He considers his new career as a dream job he did not know he wanted or needed. Porkchop has known the founders and owners of Paws and Pints, Kyle and Megan Casey, for five years and has been with them through the conception to realization of their heavenly hound haven.

“I’ve been volunteering with them from the get-go, that’s how invested I am. Kind of always figured I was gonna land here,” Porkchop[CG1] [EC2]  said.

Sam Hocker, the General Manager of the Mo’Tail and Spaw[CG3] [EC4]  and longtime friend of the Casey’s, manages the 200-kennel lodging area that was being occupied by the furry friends for some quality time. The luxury accommodations boast a camera and tv screen to monitor your dog while you are away. There are more basic accommodation kennels to better suit the budget-friendly canine companion. The spa portion includes a one-of-a-kind microbubble therapy bath that is a lot like a handheld jacuzzi for dogs that you cannot find anywhere else in the Des Moines metro area. They also offer a range of services for your hound that cover basic teeth cleaning and “pawdicures” to The Total Indulgence Package that includes a complete grooming package, a choice between two daycare days or lodging, and gift bag swag.

Speaking of daycare, the facility has three different interconnected bays complete with garage doors with access to an outside play area. The daycare bays separate the dogs by temperament rather than size and are complete with gorgeous artwork done by local tattoo artist, Chris Sullivan, who also painted the revered Dog Moines mural that is located in the large dog park. [CG5] The Backyard, a 3.5-acre, fire hydrant-populated playground includes a tennis ball splash pad, Rainbow Bridge, Sukup event space, and so much more. From choosing which sod was to be laid down in The Backyard, what cleaning products the facility would use for doggy waste, and many products that go forgotten by the everyday customer, Porkchop has made this transition to this new profession seem like he was destined to do this.

“Anyone in the management team is not here strictly for a paycheck, you have to be invested,” Porkchop said.

Besides the Caseys, Porkchop works with Kali Brudos, who is the Director of Operations/YBFB. Brudos has been amazing to collaborate with and insightful to learn according to Porkchop. Every little detail is thoroughly cared for to make sure the new product is safe for humans and their companions. Porkchop, the Casey’s, Hocker, and Brudos [CG6] all inspect the materials coming to the building to make sure it is all agreed upon throughout the company what is safe.

Porkchop revels in the newly found position that has allowed him to make him feel more fulfilled and accomplished in his daily life than he did before working with corporate companies.

When asked about what the most fulfilling part of his job was, without hesitation Porkchop said, “Just waking up and driving here! It sounds so dumb, but we have talked about it forever, the last five years. Waking up and getting to walk into the building is mind-blowing.”