Critter talk: What to look for in a boarding facility
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Picture: Free Spirit Kennels
As a vet I completely understand why someone might have to rely on a kennel to manage their dogged lives. Not every dog nor every home is amenable to a pet-sitter’s ministrations. Friends and family can be flaky or non-existent. I understand.
Where I live there are NO high-end kennels. I’ve even considered opening one, given my vet degree and avocational drive. What I lack is funds. ( I’m open to investors should you have cash to throw my way.) The majority of my area’s kennels are dirty, out-dated, kennel-cough breeding, tick-ridden facilities. (I’m so going to get into trouble for saying this.)
How about vet hospitals? After working at several hospitals that boarded pets I swore I’d never again work in one that did. Even in the nicest, supposedly spa-themed vet environments, the pets are inevitably exposed to the sickies, stuck in loud runs, walked by harried staff needing to get back to the hospitalized cases, etc. I’m sure it’s not like this everywhere but boarders at vet hospitals almost never get the attention they deserve. (Not to mention a separate air-handling unit from that which flows through the sick wards ― an essential, in my opinion.)
Why am I so critical? Because I, too, suffer from the where-do-I-leave-my-dog-when-I-go-out-of-town syndrome. Where do I leave her? Home is not home for her without me ― she comes with me everywhere. My parents have a pool, and French bulldogs don’t swim. It depresses me to leave her at work; who will love her in the evening? Leave her at a kennel? In Miami? No way! What’s a devout pet lover to do?
Akin to leaving children behind, the process of traveling becomes far more guilt-ridden when we leave our pets. Are you one of those people who shows off your pet pics to your airplane row partner? Me too. How embarrassing!
What would it take to find a place ideally suited to my pet? Here’s my list:
- Separate dog and cat facilities (no barking dogs in earshot of cats).
- Noise dampening indoor spaces so dogs don’t lose their hearing while they’re boarded (this does happen, you know).
- Non-communicating indoor spaces (no confined nose-to-nose interactions possible).
- No indoor rooms with more than ten roommates per space (limit transmission of pathogens).
- Outdoor dog play several times a day with roommates only (no dogs from other rooms).
- One full-time, dedicated staff member per 20 boarders.
- Strict flea and tick policy upon entry (mandatory pre-stay inspection; parasiticides only if absolutely necessary).
- No unnecessary vaccine requirements (DHPP and rabies annually? Come on, it’s 2006, we know better).
- At least two dedicated isolation wards for puppies or boarders flagged for potential infection.
- On call veterinarian and one certified technician on duty for daily physicals (part-time is OK).
- Comfy sleepy spaces with clean bedding.
- Separate air-handling units for every 20 boarders.
- Cool outdoor environment or indoor play area.
- Online visual access to pets for concerned parents.
- Staff on-site 24-hours.
OK so this is my dream kennel. What would that cost per night, you ask? I don’t know but I’m willing to pay at least $75 a night for something that comes anywhere close to this. At that price it makes me think twice about going out of town. But at least it offsets my reluctance to travel otherwise.
Mini four-posters and home-cooked meals? Bone-shaped pools and Animal Planet 24-7? Victorian exteriors and manicured grounds? Bed-time stories? No thank you. I tend to think these comforts are superfluous gimmicks geared towards parents, not pets. If I want perks I’ll opt for hurricane-proof windows and an outdoor misting system.
Ultimately, what I want for my dog is personal attention, health and safety. But then I’m a vet, so perhaps my priorities are a bit skewed.
What would it take to make YOU comfortable leaving your beloved at a kennel?
Many thanks to Dr. Patty and our friends at Fully Vetted/Pet MD
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We actually have one here in Tuscaloosa that would meet those demands and goes a few above those. It is not that expensive ($35 per day for daycare, and $65 for over night) but there is a waiting list a mile long for boarding and for day care. The woman who runs this place is also a certified trainer but she only takes a certain number of dogs (no cats). She set her home and yard up just to keep dogs and had a special room built on as an indoor area in case of bad weather. Really a neat place.
I pay my cousins to come and watch our cats. Little bastards always have parties when we leave and scramble to clean up before we get home. Not the cats, the cousins. I know they will take care of the cats the way they take care of their own and I don’t trust many people to do that.
I’ve never seen any kennel that didn’t bring to mind “animal shelter” except the one above. There are lots of reliable pet sitters who do a great job for a similar price. You can choose the number of visits, and a couple I know actually take your (dogs at least) home to their own house to watch over them.
I always pay someone to do this if we leave, because my list of demands is several pages long. I can’t expect someone doing it for nothing to be as attentive to their needs. Not even my own adult kid.
I agree that the “pet sitter” is the way to go MH. Like you, I also have several pages of “demands.” Unfortunately I live in an area where such services are in relatively short supply. As a result, I never go anywhere 🙂
If you have a local animal rehabilitator, they are a good place to look for references for quality pet sitters.