Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1010195
"They're dog angels!" gushes John Moore, papa to 8-year-old Basset Hound Watson. John and his wife Marsha have been boarding Watson with Patty and her husband Carmine Esposito for several years, and often leave him while they travel for weeks at a time. But today, Watson is just here for an afternoon play date. He makes himself at home as he greets fellow Basset Hound Ruby and makes his way into the familiar digs. Two tall Standard Poodles arrive on Watson's heels, new customers eager for their first visit. With a choreographed ease, Patty and Carmine call out to one another to coor- dinate the arrivals and frenzied greeting rituals of the happy dogs, along with the flurry of furry activity inside. Beyond the reception area with hardwood floors covered in area rugs, and walls adorned with many of Patty's paintings of dogs, a pet gate gives way to another room where Carmine is occupied with several regulars including Jeanne and Denny LeVett's Standard Poodles, Strutz and Hyden. "Strutz is so intelligent he will outthink you at every turn," says Denny, "and Hyden is rambunc- tious and hard to control." But, he says, "I've never met anyone like Patty and Carmine. It's like they understand Poodle language!" Denny likens Carmine to a pied piper, saying his dogs follow any order Carmine gives them. The dedication to personal attention and a family atmosphere is palpa- ble. Every pet's preference is tended to. "It's my rhythm now," says Patty. "I'm lost when they're not here." Like the best luxury hotels, Carmel Dogcare is booked far in advance, only serves a select few, and respects the privacy of its most famous guests. So it makes sense that Carmel's premier hotelier would take an interest. 194 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 8 Lab mix Iro enjoys a drink from the communal bowl on deck at the entrance of Carmel Dogcare. Patty Royce and husband Carmine Esposito surrounded by their loyal four legged clientele: Sophie and Desi, Ernest, Hyden, Strutz, and Brick. Patty's paintings, collected by several dog owners, offer the backdrop to this doggy Shangri-La.