Californians transplant love and knowledge of canines to Colorado kennel

When dog owners leave their canine companions at Windstar Kennels near Longmont, they can trust that they are in the care of people who truly know their customers.

It’s not just that Windstar Kennels owners Robert and Heather Lindberg were professional dog show handlers for 20 years, which might be experience enough. But both of them come from families who bred dogs - the couple breed dogs themselves, as well - and they owned a kennel in California before moving to Colorado in December 2009.

Caring for dogs is truly their expertise.

The Lindbergs attended shows all over the country as professional show dog handlers, including at the recent Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York, before retiring in February.

“We did have the luxury of traveling to so many different areas and seeing the differences in the people,” Heather says.

Now they are content running Windstar Kennels, which offers boarding, grooming and “play care” for dogs and cats, as well as breeding beagles.

“It’s a lot of work,” Heather says. “We live, eat and sleep it, but we do enjoy it. It’s rewarding for us to be around the dogs and the cats.”

While both Heather and Robert were raised in southern California, Robert’s family is originally from Colorado and his parents and sister and her family had returned to the Rocky Mountain state five years before Heather and Robert decided to follow suit.

“We really wanted to get out of the rat race of California,” Heather says, noting they were drawn to the Rocky Mountain state by family and “the outdoor lifestyle – the mountains and everything Colorado has to offer. We came out several times a year to visit family and show dogs and fell in love with it.”

The Lindbergs waited to move to Colorado until the right kennel was available, she says.

“We looked at a lot of different kennels, but this one just stole our hearts,” Heather says, noting Windstar Kennels sits on 2 acres and came with a home for the people as well as the animals. “It’s charming and park-like with a view of Long’s Peak. It’s country living but still close to town. It had a wonderful reputation.”

The former owners of Windstar Kennels, Cathy and Ronald Nats, are still on staff, and the kennel is thriving, Heather says.

“We offer a safe and fun environment at a reasonable price while (pet owners are) away from town,” she says.

Robert’s 13-year-old daughter enjoys pitching in at the kennel when she visits during the summer, and his two teen nieces help during their school breaks, as well.

“It’s really nice,” Heather says. “We’re settling in. We’ve had a lot of support and contacts through the different dog clubs we’ve joined over the years.”

Although the Lindbergs remain in the business they know and love, they’ve noticed some contrasts between Colorado and California – the weather being one of them.

“We have enjoyed the different weather: waking up to white little blanket of snow, and the dogs absolutely love it – they go crazy,” Heather says. “The dogs adjust real quickly.”

Windstar Kennels is located at 14077 County Road 5 in Longmont. For more information, visit www.windstar-kennels.com; e-mail windstar@windstar-kennels.com; or call (303) 485-2176.