You undoubtedly will want to make sure you place your dog in a safe and clean kennel when you need to board him overnight when you’re away from home.
Read below for five things you should look for in any boarding kennel you’re considering:
- Kennels aren’t required to be licensed by any overseeing governmental agency. However, the Pet Care Services Association (PCSA) offers a voluntary certification process toward what is called the Voluntary Facilities Accreditation (VFA). The procedure to apply – and receive certification – goes through 250 standards in 17 areas of facility operation. It isn’t inexpensive and many kennels opt not to go for certification.
- You should tour the kennel before boarding your pet. Look for:
- How crowded the kennel is and how many staff members work there. The human to dog ratio should be no greater than 1 to 10. The higher the people to pet ratio, the more one-on-one attention your dog will receive.
- It should be well lit.
- Staff should be attentive.
- Do the other dogs look content and unstressed?
- Do they have clean water and bedding?
If the kennel boards your dog in large kennel/cage, how often will your dog be walked or let outside to play?
- Ask lots of questions, such as:
- How often your pet will be walked (if the kennel doesn’t have an open space for the dogs to play).
- The procedure in case of an emergency – when will you be notified and what happens if you can’t be reached?
- Is there a veterinarian on staff or a vet tech to administer pet medications?
- Any types of dog breeds that aren’t allowed in the kennel?
- What happens if your dog becomes too aggressive? What does the kennel consider to be “too aggressive?”
- If there’s a play area for dogs, how often will your dog get to play in it and for how long?
- Take a look at the play areas and kennels. Are there jagged edges along fences, bent or torn wires, etc.? If your dog is allowed to play in a dog run for an extended period of time unattended, consider the chances of injury as he plays.
- Think carefully about whether or not your dog would thrive in the kennel. If he needs lots of play time but will be confided to a large kennel/cage for most of his stay, perhaps it’s better to find a pet sitter for him. You know your dog better than anyone; consider how much he would enjoy staying at any particular kennel before boarding him there.
Dogs boarded here at Barney’s Ranch enjoy cage-free boarding and plenty of play time with other dogs in our 8,000 square foot outdoor yard.
For more information on our boarding services, as well as to schedule a tour, contact us at 469-450-7040 or send us an e-mail at info@BarneysRanch.com.
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