About me

I know that your pets are family and you want to ensure that they are in capable and compassionate hands when you have to be away. Let me introduce myself and tell you my background and experience to put your mind at ease. My name is Dena Guzzardo and I am originally from Baton Rouge. I have loved animals since I was a little girl and always said I wanted to be a vet, although life ended up taking me in a different direction.

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As soon as I finished high school in 1987, I started working for a small animal vet while attending LSU as a Pre-Vet student. I started out as part-time kennel help, walking, bathing and feeding dogs and cats. I also took a second part-time job as a student worker at the LSU Vet School, where I helped to take care of the equine teaching herd and cleaned and stocked large animal treatment rooms.

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After a couple of years I took on more hours at the vet clinic and quit work at the vet school. By then I was proficient in animal handling and, in addition to kennel duties, was assisting the vet with appointments, medical procedures and surgeries. I also moved into the apartment above the clinic and took on weekend and holiday kennel duties. I worked there for a total of 7 years by which time I was the office manager and head assistant. I graduated in 1993 with a degree in Animal Science and quit in 1994 to take a job with the USDA. In 2001 I decided to leave government service and took a job at a predominately equine vet clinic which also specialized in advanced canine reproduction. After just a year working there, my fiance's dairy farm service business had grown to the point that he needed bookkeeping help so I quit to help him grow his business.

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During these years, from 1987 to 2002, I was actively involved in dog training, showing and breeding. My first dog of my own was a Keeshond named Nikee who I got in 1987. I trained and competed extensively with her in obedience trials. She earned the first two titles, Companion Dog and Companion Dog Excellent, and we were training for Utility Dog when she developed a brain tumor. I lost her in 1994 at just 7 years old. I had fallen in love with Bull Terriers and bought my first one, Shoni, in 1989. I showed her in both obedience and conformation and she earned her Companion Dog title and her Championship. I bred her one time and her single puppy was born with a neurological disorder so she was spayed. I got my second Bull Terrier, Popper, in 1993 and she attained her championship very quickly. We bred her twice and she produced some outstanding puppies. Some of her offspring are still competing successfully in the conformation ring with her co-breeder. I kept a male puppy from her first litter, Dagwood, but life got complicated and I stopped showing him after he attained just two points towards his championship.

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In 2010 I became involved in rescue and started fostering dogs with a local rescue, Tangi-Adopt-A-Rescue, and also partnered with a northern rescue, PAWS New England. Over the course of 6 years I fostered nearly 100 dogs and puppies. In 2011, I went to the local shelter to pull a dog for rescue and was shown a tiny Chihuahua puppy who had severe luxating patellas and could not even stand on her back legs. I rescued her as well and was quickly smitten. She had corrective surgery at just 5 months old and Lola was my spoiled baby for 5 years. In 2016 she developed a neurological disorder and, although the LSU Vet School treated her condition aggressively, she died just a few days before Christmas 2016. Our other recent pets were my husband's Toy Poodle (Guapo), a Black Lab (Archie), a small mixed breed rescue (Dharma) and 3 outdoor cats, Cinco, Seis and Siete. Sadly we had to say goodbye to Guapo (15yo), Archie (13yo), Cinco (18yo), Seis (17yo) and Siete (2yo) all in 2020. Dharma (2 years old) is currently our only pet and she LOVES going to the kennel to visit with the boarders.

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So as you can see, I have a little bit of experience in caring for dogs and cats. :-) I have talked about wanting to open a boarding kennel of my own for many years and I was finally able to make it a reality in 2015. I have planned it out from the perspective of the owner of a spoiled Chihuahua. My goal is to provide safe and comfortable boarding with emphasis on each pet's individual needs. I want to know all you can tell me about your pet's likes, dislikes, fears and routines so I can try to minimize the stress that comes from staying at a strange place. While the kennel facility is a work in progress, and will be for a while, I hope you find that it meets your standards. I would be honored if you choose me to take care of your four-legged family member while you are away on vacation or business.