ROVERS' RESORT CATERS TO PETS ANIMAL GUESTS TREATED THE BEST.

Byline: Holly Edwards Staff Writer

SAUGUS - While their owners are on vacation, a group of pampered pets enjoys a holiday of their own at a secluded retreat on Blue Cloud Road.

Here at this desert resort for pets, cats and dogs luxuriate in air-conditioned comfort and are waited on by a small cadre of animal lovers.

While the cats sleep in carpeted bunk beds or roam the open area behind their pens, the dogs are taken for walks or eagerly chase Frisbees and balls.

When they are exhausted, these lucky canines return to their climate- controlled indoor kennels or outdoor pens equipped with water misters and doggie-sized Quonset huts.

After a few weeks of these simple luxuries, many pets don't want to go home, said Sharon Rose, who opened the Canine Country Club 17 years ago.

``The dogs especially just love it and they don't want to leave,'' she said. ``The cats have to let you know they're mad at first, and then they start to enjoy themselves.''

Many pets are regulars - like the oversize Rottweiler named Shaq and the sweet-natured golden retriever named Buttercup - while others stay for extended visits.

For example, a cat recently went home after nearly a two-year stay.

``Her owner had been ill and she wanted to keep her cat, so we worked out a deal,'' Rose said.

During weekends and holidays, some 30 cats and 110 dogs stay at the boarding facility. Prices range from $12 per day for cats to up to $18 per day for dogs, Rose said.

The 54-year-old Castaic woman also works with the group Lab Rescue to find homes for abandoned or abused Labrador retrievers. Sometimes, she'll also find homes for animals whose owners can no longer care for them.

An overweight dachshund named Heidi, for example, was going to be put to sleep until Rose stepped in. Now, Heidi is on a strict diet and fitness regime and will soon be put up for adoption, Rose said.

For those who work with the animals, the job feels more like a hobby than an occupation.

``Working with animals is part of my life,'' said Lynn Barrow, 47, who has worked at the Canine Country Club for more than 10 years. ``The animals look to us for everything, and no matter what we do they appreciate it. Even the dogs we see that have been abused thrive on human touch.''

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3 photos

Photo:

(1) Canine Country Club employee Alissa Cerrato takes German shepherds Maggie and Cybil out for a stroll.

(2) Owner Sharon Rose has been pampering pets for the past 17 years at the Canine Country Club in Saugus.

(3) Cats staying at the Canine Country Club, like this one, can enjoy indoor and outdoor runs without having to share with the poochies for which the facility is named.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News