BY LOLA ROSSI
A few weeks ago, I met with Lorie Loftis of Venus De Fido in Drive in Palm Desert. Our meeting was mainly to discuss the upcoming Entertainment Schedule for February, but the venue is so much more. “I want to bring good music to people, good dancing and good times to remember,” said Loftis.
They have Happy Hour everyday Monday through Thursday from 4 – 6 p.m. with different themes; “Make over Mondays” have Spa specials with complimentary Spa demos; “Trunk Show Tuesday” with some of the Ladies from the featured non-profit as models; “Wine Down Wednesday” with guitarist Joe Baldino; and “Yappy Hour Thursday” with Members and Guests bringing their pets to socialize.
Enjoy Salsa Dancing every Tuesday night with a Salsa Dance Party at 8 p.m. on the first Friday of the month. They invite their entire class to participate and also, the general public. Thursday night features Country Line Dance Classes with a shuttle that goes to Fantasy Springs, where they can continue dancing the new dance steps they learn. Then there is “Dance Nite Friday”. On Friday, February 16, from 6 to 9 p.m., entertainer Michael D’Angelo is performing with guest Jimmy Street along with Dance Instructor Carl Davis.
On Friday, February 23, it’s The 70s Dance Party with Sheer Pleasure, featuring Rob Carter and Lola Rossi with Denise Motto and Doug Ledesma, performing from 6 until 9 p.m. Carter, who came out for Valentine’s Day performances, is from Detroit and is heading back on Sunday. This will be our last performance together, until next year. We hope to see his friends and fans stop by.
During our interview, I discovered this “one of a kind” venue was conceived by Loftis and her mother, Lindi Biggi, mainly because whenever they would take their dogs to the groomer, they found they had one to four hours to wait, while the pets they love were being groomed. For most pet owners, that is a good time to run errands like go to the Post Office, or get a massage; or a facial; or have their hair done; or a manicure and pedicure; or have lunch; and maybe go shopping. When they realized they would have to go all over town to accomplish these things, they thought how nice it would be to have all these services in one location; a place not just to have their dogs groomed, but a place for them to pamper themselves, a place where they both could enjoy the day. What a concept…
With the name Venus De Fido, many people think it is just a dog grooming place, possibly because Lindi Biggi was the Founder of Loving All Animals, a non-profit organization that continues to have fund-raising events to promote no kill shelters and pet adoption. They have placed thousands of dogs and cats since they started this noble venture.
Venus De Fido took a few years to complete, but was very well planned and is open to everyone, not just pet owners. For our beloved four-legged friends they offer grooming with special treatments for pups; cage free daycare in their dog park; training classes and the Beastro Pet Boutique offering supplies and accessories including the finest pet foods, treats and toys.
Their Staff is filled with top notch people who offer a wide variety of services, and then some… They have over 30 different sub-contractors who are masters at what they do. They have the Wellness Spa; a Retail Boutique with hand-picked items; yoga and tai chi; Massage and Body Treatments; Aromatherapy; Skin Care; Fitness Center; and the Fresh Fruit and Juice Bar at The Café; Concierges and Memberships; The Valley’s only International Regulation Squash Court; Heated Salt Bed; and the Himalayan Salt Cave, where I spent most of the hour interviewing Loftis, which now has become one of my favorite places.
We walked into the Salt Cave where they brought in over 6 tons of Himalayan Sea Salt in bags and rock to create a relaxing beach area with sea salt that feels like coarse sand. “Himalayan Sea Salt has purification properties in it,” said Loftis, “Fungus and bacteria cannot grow in a salt environment.” Our bodies are made of approximately 65% water and the salt is attracted to the water. The halogenator puts tiny dust particles of salt into the room and the molecules of salt go into our respiratory system as we take deep breaths through our nose and our mouth. This is great for people with allergies and for those wanting better overall health.
“They discovered over 200 hundred years ago that Polish salt miners never got sick, they never lost their hair and they had beautiful complexions. A study was done in Europe and they discovered Salt Cave Therapy was very beneficial for you and it did not have any counter indications; anybody could do it,” shared Loftis. The treatment is $45 for a 50 minute session; however, the benefits are remarkable. “Some stores sell Himalayan Salt Lamps with a 3 watt bulb which heats the rock and emits negative ions, something our bodies need.”
Venus De Fid is, located at 73-600 Alessandro Drive in Palm Desert. Call (760) 834-7070 for more info.
