Me & My Shadow Swim and Fitness Center For Dogs

Ladies and gentlemen, we're talking chew toys, life vests and some of the most enthusiastic reviews on the internet for a place called Me And My Shadow Indoor Swim. In Garden City, Michigan, where, yes, they have heard of winter and snow and bugs and fleas, but they have figured out how to beat cabin fever and the summertime blues in one fell swoop. 

What is this locally-owned business all about? Mostly, it's about a heated indoor pool that is dedicated to dogs, so much so that the owners provide pool toys and life vests for dogs of various sizes. The owner is Jean Carew. She is a certified dog trainer who's biography online says “Her passion for training comes from a real love of animals and many years training dogs.” 

She also says, “We started this business in memory of our dog Shadow. He benefited tremendously from our own backyard pool, and we were unable to find an indoor pool close enough for us to use regularly. We found that many other dog owners were searching for the same thing, so we opened our own indoor pool.” 

The business offers dog training, grooming, an outdoor yard with an obstacle course, a giant washtub, and the heated swimming pool that has locals raving about the water. In addition, the friendly owner is known to jump in the pool and help show you and your Woof the ropes, according to one online dog owner who has a “super high energy dog,” who doesn't tire easily. 

The pool, she says, is the answer to that. When walks don't do it, a swim will turn the over-energetic dog into a virtual lapdog. The words “best,” “friendliest” and “nicest” pop up frequently in the online notices about this place. There are fees, of course, but they are not listed online. 

Oh … and one added bonus. According to one reviewer, Me and My Shadow Indoor Swim is right next door to a pizza parlor, so you can order a pizza and have lunch while your Woof takes a dip in the pool. So, if you are in the Garden City area in Michigan, take a trip to the Me and My Shadow Indoor Swim and Fitness Center for Dogs.