Dog Grooming, Daycare & Boarding in Ronkonkoma, NY
Lillian Ruff Pet Spa
The Ronkonkoma salon at 835 Portion Road does four things in one building: dog grooming, doggy daycare, overnight boarding and a retail shop. This is the short version of all of it — the real hours, the published prices, and what you need to have ready before your dog's first visit.
Three different clocks run in the same building. Grooming 9am to 5pm, daycare 7am to 7pm, boarding check-in 2pm to 7pm and check-out 7am to 11am. Grooming books online; a first daycare or boarding visit starts with a 30-minute meet and greet.
Four things under one roof
Ronkonkoma is the full-service location, which changes what you can do in a single day: drop a dog for daycare on the way to work, have him groomed while he is already there, and pick up food on the way out.
The other salon, in East Northport at 16 Laurel Road, is grooming only, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 to 5. If you are on the Huntington side of the county and you need daycare or boarding, Ronkonkoma is the one that has it. If you only need a groom, take whichever is easier for you — that is the whole decision.
The hours, service by service
Do not merge these in your head — the building being open does not mean every service is running.
| Service | Hours |
|---|---|
| Grooming | 9:00am – 5:00pm, seven days |
| Daycare | 7:00am – 7:00pm, seven days |
| Boarding check-in | 2:00pm – 7:00pm |
| Boarding check-out | 7:00am – 11:00am |
Late daycare pickup after 7pm is $5 per 15 minutes. Not a penalty designed to catch you out — somebody stays with your dog until you arrive, and it is fairer to publish that than to be vague about it.
Long Island MacArthur Airport sits in Ronkonkoma, in the Town of Islip, and the Ronkonkoma LIRR station is one of the Main Line's major commuter and park-and-ride hubs. If your day starts before the sun does and ends long after dinner, the 7am-to-7pm daycare window is the line on this page that matters most.
Grooming prices, by weight
Grooming is priced by how much dog there is. Two published bands cover it:
| Service | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Bath & brush | $35 – $120 | Clean and brushed out. No haircut. |
| Full groom with haircut | $70 – $155 | The bath work plus a scissor or clipper haircut. |
Where your dog lands inside those ranges depends on weight, and the per-weight figures live on the grooming page rather than being quoted from memory here. If a groom needs more than the standard time — heavy matting is the usual reason — you should hear about it before the work starts, not after.
Daycare, and what it costs
| Option | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Full day, 4+ hours | $35 | — |
| Half day, under 4 hours | $30 | — |
| 5-day pass | $162.50 | Saves $12.50 |
| 10-day pass | $300 | Saves $50 |
| 20-day pass | $550 | Saves $150 |
Packages have no expiration date, which is the part worth knowing: a 20-day pass bought for a busy stretch does not evaporate if your schedule changes. They are non-refundable, and sales tax of 8.75% applies — full pricing is on the daycare page. If your dog only needs somewhere to be two or three times a year, buy single days. A pass is for a routine, not for the occasional emergency.
Boarding, and what a night includes
Every stay includes a full day of daycare at no extra charge, so a boarded dog is not kenneled from check-in to check-out. Feeding runs at 8am, 1pm and 6pm, with custom schedules for puppies, seniors or medical diets. Bring your own food if you can — a sudden diet change is the most avoidable cause of an upset stomach away from home — but it can be provided at $5 per day per dog. Details on the boarding page.
Boarding is not right for every dog, and it is better to learn that at a meet and greet than at 6pm the night before you travel. The stated eligibility is plain: "Pet must be non-aggressive, comfortable in a kennel, able to socialize, and free from bite history." Medication that has to be given outside the 7am-to-10pm window is a known limitation — raise it early and you get a straight answer either way.
What Suffolk County requires before your dog boards
Suffolk County Code § 302-13 requires a current health certificate from a licensed veterinarian before any dog is accepted at a boarding kennel: rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus and coronavirus within the previous year — unless an approved three-year vaccine is certified by the vet — plus bordetella within the previous six months. Bordetella is the one owners most often let lapse without realizing, because it runs on a different clock from everything else. This is county law, not salon policy. Confirm current requirements with your vet and with the salon before you book.
Two more things worth saying plainly. New York State does not license or inspect boarding kennels, daycares or grooming salons — a "Safe Pet Boarding Act" has been proposed but is not law. You are relying on the facility, not an inspector, which is exactly why you should walk the place before you leave your dog in it. And bordetella does not fully prevent kennel cough: what people call kennel cough is properly canine infectious respiratory disease complex, with roughly eleven contributing pathogens by the AVMA's count. The vaccine lowers the risk and is required. It does not make it zero.
What we do, and what we don't
No cats, at either location. No creative coloring, no show grooming, no hand-stripping. Hand-stripping is a real skill and a real time commitment — if you have a wire-coated terrier whose coat you want kept properly, you want a specialist who does it every week, not a salon learning on your dog.
How to book
Grooming: book online
Appointments go through the booking system on the grooming page. You will see the price band for your dog's weight before you confirm.
Daycare or boarding: start with a meet and greet
First visits begin with a 30-minute evaluation so we can see how your dog handles the space and the other dogs. Arrange it before the day you actually need the spot.
Get the paperwork in early
The vet certificate takes a phone call to your practice and a day or two to arrive. Check the bordetella date first.
Call or message for the odd cases
Medication timing, custom feeding, a dog who had a bad experience elsewhere — those are conversations, not form fields. Reach us through the contact page.
If your dog would be happier at home, we will tell you. The point is a good visit, not a booked slot.
Questions people actually ask
Do you groom cats?
No. Dogs only, at both locations. A cat groomer is a genuinely different job and you want someone who does it all day.
Does a boarding night include daycare, or is that extra?
Included. Every boarding stay comes with a full day of daycare at no extra charge, so your dog is out and moving rather than kenneled the whole time.
Do the daycare passes expire?
No expiration date. They are non-refundable, and 8.75% sales tax applies. The 5-day pass is $162.50, the 10-day is $300 and the 20-day is $550.
My dog is on medication. Can he still board?
Often, yes. The limitation is medication that has to be given outside the 7am-to-10pm window. Tell us the schedule before you book so nobody is guessing. Anything about the medication itself is a question for your vet, not for us.
Why can't I see one exact grooming price?
Because grooming is priced by weight. Bath and brush runs $35 to $120, a full groom with haircut $70 to $155, and the band for your dog's weight shows on the grooming page when you book.
I'm closer to Huntington. Can I use East Northport instead?
For grooming, yes — 16 Laurel Road, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 to 5. That location is grooming only, so daycare and boarding both mean coming to Ronkonkoma.
Book the groom, or come see the place first.
Pick your dog's weight band online and choose a time, or get a meet and greet on the calendar before you need daycare or boarding.
See pricing & book ›835 Portion Rd, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 · Open 7 days, 9–5
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