After two decades in the construction business, Liz Wilkins knew a pair of things to be true about the potential of changing direction with her career.
One, she would want to own her own business. And two, she would want to work with animals.
“I came from a huge dog family,” she said. “I love cats, too. But I never really thought I could actually have my own business working with cats and dogs. It all just kind of happened and fell into my lap. I had to jump at the opportunity.”
That opportunity turned out to be the Riverside Pet Club and Resort, a four-acre plot of land in Dauphin that offers an array of pet services including boarding, grooming and even doggy day care. Wilkins took over in 2023 after one of the previous owners faced health issues and was forced to shift her focus away from the business.
Enter Wilkins, who said she hit it off with the previous ownership. Not having to start the business from scratch played into her decision, Wilkins said, considering that Riverside had built up a clientele for the better part of 17 years before she came around.
Despite getting that head start, Wilkins admitted that she’s faced her share of challenges since taking the helm. One of those hurdles has been a steady decline in groomers, dating back to before she took over. As a result, she’s spent a good portion of the last year-and-a-half rebuilding that roster to retain customers.
One of those customers is Jennifer Adams, whose lifelong passion has been animals. Adams has been taking her dogs to Riverside for years—dating back to the days before Wilkins was in charge—and, overall, Adams said the change in ownership has been a net positive for the business.
“Doggy day care has been a huge help,” Adams noted. “Liz does a lot of stuff. If there’s a stray dog, she does as much as she can to re-home the animal and make sure it’s taken care of. We want to support those kinds of efforts because I think that’s important for any community. It’s a challenging business to be in, but she takes the time to rally everybody together.”
Fell in Love
Wilkins’ commitment to her craft began at an early age. These days, she easily reflects with fondness on old photos from her mother that include Wilkins holding puppies.
“The look on my face is, ‘I was in heaven,’” Wilkins said while recalling the images. “As soon as I realized I could have a dog, I asked for one. When I was 15, I wanted a golden retriever so bad, I saved up all my babysitting money and bought my first dog. It’s nothing but history from there.”
Running Riverside, Wilkins admitted she has a “crazy amount of pets”—so much so that she said, if she had more, her facility could be categorized as a farm. If she had more time, she would love to add a mini donkey, a mini horse, mini llamas and chickens, among other animals to her crew of furry friends.
That’s all in due time. For now, Wilkins is laser-focused on growing Riverside and expanding her reach for pet services around the Harrisburg area. One of her highest priorities is being able to provide grooming services for cats, something that she said they’re not set up for yet but hope to be soon.
And to think, it all started from a passing thought that floated through her mind as she was considering how to start her own different kind of business—a construction company aimed at building homes.
“When I came across this kennel for sale, I thought it would be absolutely crazy to do anything like this,” she said. “But then it just kept popping up, so I thought, ‘What if I just go look at it?’ So, I came to look at it and fell in love.”
She’s now at the point where she’s considering next steps.
“I have so many things I want to do,” she said, confidently. “I want to grow so badly and so quickly, but they say sometimes that growing too quickly isn’t a good thing, so in its own way, everything is pacing itself out nicely. I just love the customers, which are the dogs, of course, and I even love their parents. Everything, so far, has just been amazing.”
Riverside Pet Club and Resort is located at 655 River Rd., Dauphin. For more information, visit www.riversidepetclub.com.
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