Everything you need to know about boarding
Selecting a kennel
Throughout the lifetime of your pet, there will arise certain occasions that demand leaving you pet behind. Very often people choose to ask a neighbor or friend to pet sit, leaving their pet in its familiar surroundings. On the surface this sounds like the nice thing to do, but consider the following:
- Escape or loss - even when left in their own homes, a pet may go into an "escape frenzy" and try to find their master
- Injury or illness - left unattended for many hours at a time between the sitters' visits, your pet can easily become injured or ill without notice. Pets attended to by a 'caretaker' must be observed for a variety of veterinary problems that require training and experience to identify and handle.
- Responsibility - asking a friend or relative to 'watch rover' may lead to strained relationships if something happened and your pet got injured, particularly if it was through apparent inattention on the friend's part.
Plan ahead
If this is the first time you will be leaving your pet at a boarding kennel, make sure you make arrangements well ahead of your departure. At peak seasons, most reputable facilities are reserved far in advance. When calling to inquire about the facility, as owner you should want to know the following:
- Kennel size and type of construction (building block, chain, wood)
- Type of food served (can you bring your own)
- How often are the boarding kennels cleaned
- Who operates the boarding kennel-owner or "hired help"
- Cost per day
Before making a reservation it is best to visit the facility to see if it meets with your needs. A reputable boarding kennel operator will show no hesitation in answering questions about his kennels, and should be willing to allow you to view the facilities at any time during normal business hours.