MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Dog owners in Meridian Township could have new place for their pup to play as soon as this spring.

Doggy Daycare and Spa is opening a second location on the corner of Grand River Avenue and Cornell Road in Okemos.

Doggy Daycare and Spa provides dogs with a cage-less environment to play and socialize with one another. They also offer overnight boarding and grooming services.

Due to the nature of the open environment, dogs must meet certain criteria for the daycare program, which include being at least five months of age, spayed or neutered, and up-to-date on all vaccinations.

"We do have an enrollment process that everyone has to complete before they're able to come their first time," said Janice Milligan, owner of Doggy Daycare and Spa. "Now, dogs that come for boarding do have to be enrolled in our daycare program. However, dogs that come for just grooming don't have to be."

The company first opened on James Phillips Drive in Okemos in 2000, but moved after purchasing land in Delta Township, where they have been located since 2003.

Milligan said adding a second location in Okemos will ease the commute for her current customers from the Meridian Township area, which she believes to be about 15 to 20 percent of her total clientele.

"We've actually been trying to get back over to Okemos because it's a long drive for people in the Haslett/Okemos area to get over to Delta Township and if they work or live in the Okemos/Haslett area," Milligan said. "It adds a good 45 minutes to their commute in the morning and in the evening, so we think it's going to be a fantastic addition to the community over there."

There have been some setbacks in construction of the Okemos location of Doggy Daycare and Spa due to extremely cold weather. The next step in the building process is waiting for the building to become heatable so a concrete floor can be installed.

Milligan said there is no set timetable for the new location's opening, but she is hoping for sometime in May.

Milligan also said she is eager to expand her business in Meridian Township.

"We're just really looking forward to coming to the Meridian Township and Okemos area and we're excited to be able to provide the community with our services," Milligan said. "We think it's been a long time coming and we're very excited that it's finally here."