Pet Boarding: Canine FAQ

The earliest that puppies can board is 2 weeks after receiving their last set of puppy boosters. Please call ahead to let us know your pet’s vaccine history so we can help determine if boarding would be safe for your pet.

Boarding charges are determined by your pet’s weight. All boarding charges are per pet, per night. Other charges may apply if your pet needs medications or will be eating our kennel diet (information further along in this Q & A)

Yes! We offer what is called day boarding. You can opt for this if you’re getting house work done, running long errands, or simply would like us to watch your pet while you’re at work.

We encourage you to bring your pet’s regular food from home. We do ask that food is brought in as compact of a container as possible (water proof is even best). If you are unable to bring food, we are happy to feed our kennel diet; adult Science Diet sensitive stomach (dry kibble). This food is gentle so as not to upset their digestion due to a brief change in diet while boarding. There is a small fee applied to receiving kennel diet. It is applied based on pet’s weight, per pet, per night.

We certainly allow some items to be brought in with your pets and understand that familiarity might make them feel more at home while you’re away. Although, we do have a limit of 2 bedding items and 3 toys to help reduce the risk of loss. For the safety of your pet, we strongly urge away from rawhides, bones, or other potential choking hazards. These items may be placed with your pet at your request during business hours, but may be removed overnight or while they are not actively supervised. You are also welcome to bring LIGHT bedding, blankets or toys as long as they can fit into a regular sized washing machine and dryer. We will do our best to return these items to you, but stress the fact that items run the risk of becoming damaged or lost. It is best to leave any items of high value at home to avoid this. We are able to provide your pet with plenty of bedding, along with food and water dishes while they are staying with us. Any item that is becoming or is suspected of becoming hazardous may be taken away from your pet for their safety.

For the safety of your pet, as well as others, we require current vaccinations and proof of a negative fecal test.

DHPP: This vaccination is required yearly for the prevention of Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza.

Bordetella: Our facility requires a 6 month vaccination for the assistance in the prevention of an upper respiratory infection commonly known as “kennel cough”. This infection can be highly contagious, especially in areas where there is a lot of canine traffic; e.g. boarding facilities, grooming facilities, dog parks, training areas, etc. Even though this vaccine is given every 6 months, there are many different strains that it may not always protect against.

Rabies: A Rabies vaccine is also required. This vaccination can be accepted as either a 1yr or a 3yr vaccine.

Internal Parasites: A fecal test is a test that is run to ensure your pet is free of intestinal parasites. Intestinal parasites can be contracted from other dogs that have been using the same backyard. We require negative fecal tests on all pets staying with us for the safety of yours as well. If necessary, we can run a fecal test at our facility at the time of your pets arrival date for boarding. You will be notified if a test comes back positive and we will prescribe appropriate medication for the health of your pet and the safety of others. Charges will apply.

External Parasite: We highly recommend that your pet be on a regular regimen of external parasite preventative. These types of preventatives can help control fleas and ticks. There are a few products that we would recommend and do carry. If fleas are noticed on a pet during their stay, a dose of Capstar will be administered at an additional expense. Capstar will kill any adult fleas on your pet, but does not act as a preventative. This is done to avoid the transfer of fleas to other pets staying in our facility. Please call ahead to see if you have questions regarding the prevention your pet is on.

All of our boarding dogs are walked 4 times a day. They are given a proper amount of time outside to stretch their legs, and use the potty. We have 4 fenced in yards that are used for walking. They are all let outside individually so this means that they will get a yard all to themselves. We can certainly walk dogs together if they are in the same family and have shown that they get along well.

Our staff is trained to properly administer medications, whether it is oral medications, topical medications or injectable such as insulin. There is a daily fee for this service which ensures that your pet receives the necessary medication at the proper times. The daily medication fee is $2.50. If your pet is diabetic, we will check their blood glucose at times when the Veterinarian on staff deems it necessary. Charges will apply. Since pets do not always eat normally as they would at home, this could affect the amount of insulin they require. All medications must be brought in their original container and not mixed in with their food.

Please call ahead to let us know what is needed for your pet. We will do our best to make any reasonable accommodations.

Doctors and technicians are available if there is ever a problem. They are also reachable during our non-business hours if there is ever an emergency. Our kennel staff gets to know your pets and is efficient at noticing if something is not quite right. We will make every effort to get in contact with you if there is ever anything that needs immediate attention. If you are unreachable during an emergency, actions will be taken for the benefit of your pet’s health and life unless specified otherwise when brought in for boarding. It is always best to leave information of an additional emergency contact person that is allowed to make medical decisions for your pet in your absence.

Your pet will have the ability to see other animals, but will not come into physical contact with them. We do allow pets of the same family to board together in the same run as long as they get along. We can also keep pets of the same family in separate runs, but then walk them together outside at your request. If they are boarding together and it is noticed that they are not getting along, you will be contacted and they will be separated. These measures are taken for safety reasons.

We currently do not have specific drop off or pick up time slots during our business hours. You are welcome to bring or pick up your pet as soon as we open. However, we do ask that if you are picking up or dropping off closer to the end of the day, we request that you are here no later than 20 minutes prior to closing (please see the main page for our hours of operation). This allows for adequate time to go over necessary paperwork or any special boarding instructions. It also gives us time for check outs and gathering any belongings they may have.

Boarding is not always a fun or relaxing experience for some pets. It can occasionally be noisy with other dogs barking and full of different smells. Some pets really enjoy this type of energy and excitement while others may prefer to stay at home. Our kennel is staffed with very friendly and caring people who enjoy getting to know your pet and know how to take their time with any of them who are nervous or scared. If any disquieting behavior is exhibited, our kennel staff will try to ease your pet to trusting us. Although, when animals are in a new environment, they can act differently than they normally would at home. Aggressive behavior can also be exhibited if a pet is not acclimating well to a change in environment. Sometimes it just takes a little time for them to gain our trust. We will make all attempts to help your pet during this temporary transition. However, if your pet is unable to be safely handled for basic feeding walking or medicating, we will contact you about finding alternative accommodations. It is always best to have a back-up plan or a friend on call that would be able to pick up your pet if necessary. If your pet has never boarded before, we recommend letting them stay with us for 1 or 2 nights prior to their long stay to see how they do. Boarding will not always be a good fit for all pets. Our main concern is your pet’s wellbeing.

Boarding can sometimes fill up quickly, so it is best that you contact us as soon as you know the tentative dates you need. This is especially important for holidays. We have booked reservations as early as 1 year in advance for some of our clients. Please call us for availability.

Although we are closed on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and on certain holidays, we still have qualified staff members that come up to the clinic to continue the regular boarding routine your pet is used to during the week. Unfortunately, we do not offer drop off or pick up times during the times we are closed. You can check our main webpage as well as updates on our Facebook page for potential closing times around Holidays. If we are closed due to inclement weather, this only means that we will not be open for business. We have certain staff members on standby with a plan to get to the clinic in these situations so that we are still able to take care of your pets.

We do offer webcams in a limited number of our runs, so please call early as these are the first spaces to book up. The webcams allow for you to access view of your pets while you’re away. You can contact us if you notice anything with your pet that you would like addressed. If you know your pet is in a run with a camera, ask the receptionist at drop off which space your pet will be staying in and we can provide you with the access login and password. These cameras are complimentary and are provided at no additional charge.

Playtime is an additional service we offer for boarders to allow them some added one on one time with one of our kennel technicians. We can do 2 playtimes per day for your pet, each time lasting between 10-15 minutes and done in between their 1st and 2nd walk, then again between their 3rd and 4th walk. These “playtimes” can differ from playing fetch indoors or outdoors if the weather permits, or simply cozying up with them and giving them a good brushing or belly rub. We offer different “playtimes” depending on pet’s energy level and demeanor, or simply learning what they like. Since our staff is spending this individual time with each pet, we can only offer limited reservations. Please ask us as soon as you book your boarding if we have space available for this service.