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The staff at Maxwell’s House, from left, Stevi Nayavich, grooming; Liz McHugh, proprietor; Dave Nayavich, operations manager, recently held an open house.

Stevi Nayavich, right, sheers Coco while Liz McHugh offers a helping hand.

Resident trainer Nikki Banfield, far left, addresses the open house crowd on training techniques.

Twenty-eight suites make up the number of rooms Maxwell’s House features in the 4,000-plus square foot facility.

Niles sits on Pergo flooring next to his elevated bed and feeding dishes at Maxwell’s House.

Waylon has a great view from his dog suite equipped with windowed doors.

PITTSTON — A new and innovative boarding, grooming and day care center for dogs and cats is now available in Greater Pittston.

Liz McHugh, proprietor of Maxwell’s House: A Four-Paw Pet Resort, had her dream come true on Saturday, Feb. 28 when the doors opened on her new business venture. She, along with her fiancee, Dave Nayavich, and his sister, Stevi,will operate Maxwell’s Houseat 10 Tunnel St., Pittston. It is estimated 200-250 people came through its doors during the Feb. 28 open house.

“We were all overwhelmed and it was a huge success,” McHugh said. “We were estatic with the outpouring of love we received. So many people came through the door that we didn’t know.”

McHugh received a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences from Penn State University and has worked for the past six years as a veterinary technician at the Kingston Veterinary Clinic.

Dave Nayavich serves as the operations manager, while Stevi Nayavich handles the grooming and bathing.

“I’ve always worked with animals and it’s my passion to take care of them,” McHugh said. “I chose Pittston because the city is coming along and we are offering a service that is very unique to Greater Pittston,”

An unofficial member of the team is Maria Augello, McHugh’s cousin, who runs the Maxwell’s House Facebook page.

“She’s our social media director,” McHugh said. “With her help, I think it is why we had so many people visit us for our grand opening.”

The state-of-the-art facility is located at the former site of McHugh Brothers Moving Co. that McHugh’s dad, Tom, and uncle, Jeff, co-owned.

The more than 4,000-square-foot building will house 28 suites, with deluxe suites equipped with televisions streaming the DogTV Channel. The channel will be on 24/7. According to McHugh, DogTV is endorsed by the Humane Society, stating it causes less stress and separation anxiety for dogs.

Cat condos are under construction and should be completed by the end of March.

“We will have condo suites for cats with adjoining doors for each room, housing up to five cats,” McHugh said. “We also offer grooming for cats as well.”

Other accommodations feature home-like flooring, raised bedding and a serene atmosphere, as well as a windowed door.

A 500-foot indoor common area will be devoted for dogs to mingle.

According the McHugh, with the suites and lack of chain-link fence, the animals are made to feel like they are in a home environment.

In addition to the indoor space, two fenced-in areas will allow for outdoor activity.

McHugh is thankful to her parents, Rita and Jim Zarra and Tom and Sandy McHugh for providing love, support and guidance. “I would especially like to thank my dad, Tom, for donating the land,” McHugh added.

For further information, call McHugh at 570-655-1406 or email her at maxwellshouseresort@gmail.com.