A Little News from Happy Tails...
Some of you have noticed the RETIREMENT SALE sign out front, and the questions have started, so I thought I should get ahead of the rumour mill. First and most importantly: Happy Tails is NOT closing. After 30 years of building Happy Tails, I am getting ready to retire and planning to list the resort for sale in September. Happy Tails will continue operating as usual while I look for the right people to take it into its next chapter.
I have a feeling there may be people out there who have dreamed of owning Happy Tails. I’m looking for the right dreamer. Someone who sees what has been built here and has the energy and vision to take it forward for another 30 years or more. I’ve said lately that Happy Tails today is exactly the place I dreamed of having when I was 30. It just took another 30 years of constant investment, work and improvement to build it.
Happy Tails is a successful, turnkey operation with an established client base and an incredible property. You aren’t starting from scratch. You’re stepping into something built carefully over decades, with the opportunity to bring your own ideas and vision to what comes next. Finding the right fit matters to me. This has never been just a business or a piece of property. Interest is certainly welcome, but August is a very busy month here and I still have work to finish before listing. I’ll have much more to share once we get to September. A little anticipation never hurt anyone!
The sign went up a little sooner than I expected, which is why some of you saw it before you heard it from me. But please don’t read “Retirement Sale” as “Happy Tails is closing.” It isn’t. I will, however, be selling off a lot of extra stuff I’ve accumulated, starting with a yard sale August 22 and 23. Thirty years here means I have a LOT to go through! For now, it’s business as usual. We’re having a great, busy summer, and I’m thoroughly enjoying my clients and their dogs. I’m still here doing what I’ve always done, while beginning the search for who will take this very special place into its next 30 years.
Lisa
We Know You Have Questions
We know the words “Retirement Sale” might have caught some of you by surprise. This is the beginning of a long-term transition, not the end of Happy Tails. Here are answers to some of the questions we expect our clients may have.
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No. Happy Tails is NOT closing. The resort is open and operating as usual. Lisa is beginning the process of planning for her retirement after 30 years of building Happy Tails.
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Not yet. Lisa is planning to list Happy Tails for sale in September, 2026. There is no immediate change of ownership, and finding the right person to continue what has been built here is important to her.
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No. It's business as usual at Happy Tails. Existing appointments and upcoming bookings will continue as normal.
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Your prepaid Happy Tails packages will be honoured. You can continue purchasing and using your packages as usual.
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No. Happy Tails continues to operate normally, and prepaid packages will continue to be honoured. This is a long-term retirement plan, not an announcement that the business is closing.
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No. Lisa is still here and very much involved in the day-to-day operation of Happy Tails. The sale process hasn't even begun yet, and there is no set date for Lisa's retirement.
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Because Happy Tails isn't winding down. Lisa has spent 30 years continually investing in and improving the resort, including the recent renovations and improvements you've seen this year. The goal is to leave Happy Tails in great shape for its next chapter.
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It's far too early to know what a future owner may eventually bring to Happy Tails. Lisa's priority is finding the right person who understands what Happy Tails means to its clients and has the energy and vision to carry it forward.
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It means exactly that: Lisa is preparing for retirement. It does not mean Happy Tails is closing. Lisa also has 30 years' worth of accumulated items to sort through, so there will be a yard sale on August 22 and 23, 2026
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For now, nothing changes. Happy Tails is having another busy Muskoka summer, and Lisa and the team are continuing to care for your dogs as they always have. When there is important news about the future of Happy Tails, clients will hear it directly from us.