In and around Champaign-Urbana, there are several choices for dog and cat care while owners are at work or on vacation. Beaument Veterinary Clinic in Urbana, Tailwaggers Pet Chateau in Savoy, and various home pettsitters, such as Angel Paws in Champaign, are some of the options pet-owners have. But the most interesting and well-established boarding facility by far is Crossroads Grooming and Boarding Home.
Crossroads Grooming and Boarding facility was the first-ever pet boarding clinic in Champaign-Urbana. The dog and cat care haven is open all year, including holidays. Crossroads is no longer a veterinary clinic, as that portion of the business closed when its founder, Dr. Griffiths, died three years ago. But it’s still much in demand as a daycare, long-term boarding option, and grooming business.
The current owner, Irene Strownatt, is very much a hands-on caregiver for all the pets. When she has up to 50 dogs in residence (as she will for the Thanksgiving Holiday), Irene knows every one of the dogs’ names by heart. She jokes that she can’t remember the owners’ names, just all the animals. In fact, Irene is so dedicated to the cats and dogs she cares for, she actually lives on the property and only takes two days’ vacation a year.
The residence attached to the kennels and grooming rooms (the latter of which were formerly vet exam rooms) were all built originally by Dr. Griffiths in 1956. Irene says, “We now call one of the former exam rooms, ‘The Groomers’ Castle Lodge.’”
Dr. Griffiths spent much of his time working in this exam/now grooming room while he lived and worked as a vet on the property himself until he died in May of 2010. Irene worked for him in the kennels for many years prior to his death.
At that time, she drove in to work from 30 miles away as a single mother with two children. Irene got to know Dr. Griffiths well when she was an employee and was in fact so loyal to him that he left the entire property and operation to her in his will. Griffiths had no children, and while he was married three times, he was known to be a “grumpy old man,” according to Irene.
Irene jokes that her family “broke” him of his habit of disliking children and only liking animals because her children grew up during the time she knew him: when she began working there, her son was two, and he’s now fifteen. She explains that Griffiths used to ask children who visited the clinic to wait outside. However, he eventually became quite affectionate with Irene’s son and daughter when she brought them to work.
“After a while getting to know my young son,” Irene says, “Dr. Griffiths let him come inside.”
Irene’s family and Crossroads’ other employee, Faith, also became like family to Dr. Griffiths. Faith still helps Irene care for the animals today even though she drives quite a ways to her other job for Champaign County Transportation by the old Champaign Co. Nursing Home in Urbana.
Like Irene, Faith is a true lover of dogs and cats. When Faith is not working in Urbana, she chooses to go out to the Iditarod World Mushing competition, where she helps competitors at the rest stops along the trail. Faith is quite a brave traveler as evidenced by the fact that she accompanied Dr. Griffiths on his last trip to his native Wales before he died in his 80’s of cancer.
Dr. Griffiths grew up in Wales through his college days as a teenager. After serving in the Air Force after high school, the young Griffiths was ready to further his education to become a veterinarian. He moved to Chicago to stay with his uncle who owned a bar there. His uncle had explained to him that he could work his way through an American university, so Griffiths took a chance and moved to C-U to earn his veterinary degree. He was, indeed, successful at the University of Illinois, and even worked on the faculty of the University Veterinary Clinic.
Now, Irene works all hours feeding, exercising, and further caring for all her charges. There is a huge, three-acre running meadow for the dogs who get to go out at least two times a day. Irene, Faith, and one other assistant and groomer, Brandy, play with the dogs throwing balls in the vast area of grass. Usually the dogs go out alone with the staff for their runs; however, Irene sometimes runs up to seven dogs at once if she is sure that they will get along together.
Irene knows dogs well. She loves dogs and cats so much that she owns a cat, a Rottweiler named Spider, and a chi Wawa named Betty Boo. Spider loves to run with guest dogs, like Oliver, a Cocker Spaniel who is currently in day care since his owners are rebuilding their home after the recent tornado. Oliver has the special skill of retrieving deer antlers, when he is in captivity or in the wild.
Irene obliges Oliver by throwing antlers into the bushes for him, which he promptly finds and brings back to her with great gusto. There is also a permanent hamster residing on the premises that Spider loves to watch through the glass.
Not only do the dogs get to play with their specifically favorite toys, they also get to eat their own individual diet, which can be whatever their owners request. Irene has on hand both vegetarian and meat food, and she also accepts the owners’ food if they prefer to bring their own from home. She buys American Natural Premium, a top of the line dog food.
Irene explains, “I add a little warm water mixed with canned meat to pour over each dish of dog food so the dogs will eat it right away, and not bury it like they would bury a bone for later.”
Irene says that 90% of the dogs have been told, “I love you” by their owners; therefore, the dogs respond very positively, even to strangers who say the words, “I love you” to them. Irene’s continued care while the dogs’ owners are elsewhere makes her boarding home a truly “safe haven” for every being who stays there.
Details on hours and fees can be found on Crossroads Grooming and Boarding website. The facility phone number is 217-621-5992, and the email is strowmatt@comcast.net. The business is located at 1805 Olympian Rd. in Urbana, just off Cunningham road past I74.