KENNEL IS A PARADISE FOR PETS `5-BONE' RETREAT IS ALWAYS BOOKED.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

NEWHALL - The great and powerful Oz had his Emerald City, and Mike Lovingood has the whimsical Calgrove Kennels, a sprawling facility where dogs play among life-size statues of Laurel and Hardy, the Blues Brothers and Bugs Bunny.

Unlike the wizard, however, the good-natured man known as ``Dog Mike'' employs no tricks from behind the curtain: Cleanliness, a trained staff and the welcome of amusement park statuary is the secret to this thriving canine fantasyland.

``I get two complaints from my customers,'' said Lovingood, between puffs of his North Seas tobacco-loaded pipe. ``Too expensive, and the dogs like it here too much, better than at home.''

Calgrove Kennels caters to no more than 40 families and is always booked. In fact, the exclusivity has created a kind of private-school competitiveness among those who demand the best for their pets.

While Lovingood balks at revealing prices for boarding, doggie day care and other services, he clearly has no problem keeping his customers. Pop icon Janet Jackson, for example, has been boarding her pooches with ``Dog Mike'' for years.

The 2 1/2-acre canine compound's proximity to Six Flags California's Magic Mountain plays a big part in the roadside kennel's enchanting atmosphere.

Two immense fiberglass crusaders from the Gothic period guard the entrance to the ``5-bone accommodations.'' Oversize parking meters - ``barking'' meters in these parts - grace the outdoor cages where dogs splash in their own wading pools.

Amid weathered signs hawking the old ``Log Jammer'' ride and ``Elmer Fudd's Orchards,'' visitors happen upon a large replica of a great white shark enjoying a tasty snack - the finned feet and sun-tanned legs of a swimmer protrude from the beast's jaws.

``I'm just a collector of garbage that somebody else is going to throw away,'' said Lovingood, who owned a guard dog business before realizing his dream of owning a kennel. ``I take it and make it into something. I don't even want anything that's good. I only want junk.''

One of his most impressive salvages, a rotting boat hull that Magic Mountain had used for its puppet show, reveals his restorative genius.

The theme park gave Lovingood the hull and threw in some old train benches which, after vigorous planing, turned out to be a rich Honduran mahogany. It is now a water-tight hideaway reminiscent of an old sea captain's smoking parlor.

Cleverly, Lovingood named the outdoor area designated for older dogs with hip trouble and other ailments the ``Grrr-iatric'' area. And his tribute to dinosaurs - all made from welded bits of scrap metal - is called ``Drastic Park.''

While senior citizens groups and youth clubs have spent hours touring the magical facility, the impeccable landscaping, giant ice cream cones and minivan-size fiberglass rooster all play second fiddle to the main event: top-notch animal care.

The indoor kennel features a long hallway of countertops, underneath which dogs have their own hand-tiled, indoor-outdoor area. Sections of the counters flip up to reveal a colorful, temperature-controlled space where the dogs frolic.

``There are no fleas and ticks here. And no odors can penetrate this flooring,'' Lovingood said. ``Two main things here: cleanliness and security. I know every dog in here by name, every dog by medication. I know who has diabetes, heart conditions, epilepsy.''

There are cats, too. And more than 250 bird houses on the property. Indicative of the proprietor's sense of humor, the feline kennel area has a glass-walled view of the facility's groomed bird village.

``Every man's dream is to own his own cathouse - I just happen to have mine legally,'' Lovingood joked of the kitty hotel, which features music and smells like fresh apples.

Longtime customer Kiki Hall of Valencia said she would never take her two dogs anywhere else.

``Hey, this is a '5-bone accommodation,' and if I put myself in the Four Seasons why shouldn't I put my dogs there,'' Hall said. ``You could eat off the floor in this place. The socialization factor is so important, and that's what he offers here.

``Other kennels have this lock-down mentality, which I won't stand for my dogs. I figure, if it's good enough for Janet Jackson, it's good enough for me.''

The divorced Lovingood built his home on the property, which is rigged with strategically placed cameras and laser beam security, both to keep intruders out and ensure that the furry critters stay in.

``My staff is the most critical part of this kennel,'' he said. ``The animals here are never left alone. Never. Most nights, I bring some of the dogs inside (the house). I just drag out the doggie beds and they lay all over.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) A former amusement park dinosaur has a new home at Calgrove Kennels, a 2 1/2-acre facility in Newhall where dogs can roam free.

(2 -- color) Friendly boarders peer from the compound at Calgrove Kennels in Newhall, which caters to no more than 40 families and is always booked.

(3) Mike Lovingood walks past the Blues Brothers at his Calgrove Kennels. The 2 1/2-acre facility in Newhall, filled with statues and other amusement park castoffs, caters to dogs, cats and birds.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer