Boarding Kennels

[michele]

Hi guys! I hope everyone is having a terrefic new year!

I was hoping that I could get some input on boarding kennels. This summer I am opening a boarding kennel and doggie day care. As of right now the play is to have 20 dog runs, a room for cats (number of cages pending) and a room for small animals. There is going to be a groomer as well. Doggie day care will be available on week days. My question to everyone is what do you look for in a kennel and what type of animals do you board. Or things you like or do not like about the kennel you use.

I am trying to get as much input as I can before plans are finalized! Thank you !

 

[Gabby]

I work at a veterinary clinic that does limited boarding. We have 9 dog runs and 7 cat condos. Small animals are typically boarded in the cat hospital.

what we have had board, cats, dogs, of course, plus birds, rabbits, turtle.. i think We had one other animal stay with us a while back but I can't recall what it was.

Things that I know people ask us when they are boarding with us for the first time.

Do they have separate cages/runs, do they get any out time. are they walked, how often, is there a fenced yard they will be walked in if for any reason they slip their leash and run. How tall is the fence, does it have a bar across the bottom so the dogs can not simply slip under the fence.

Do we bring our own food or will food be provided, do we bring blankets or are they provided. Do you charge extra for giving different food, pills, walks, etc.

what vaccines are required? do you require a felv/fiv negative results, will positive cats be able to board. also if they are will they be provided a separate area to protect my cat.



what is your protocol in case emergency IE dog bites another dog, animal gets loose and take off, diabetic seizures etc..

ok those are a few things I can think of off the top my head.

Since we have limited boarding we onlyboard clients animals, but you still get your share of all types of people(and animals).We also cater to our clients with animals that have special needs.If you like feel free to pick my brain

 

[Gabby]

From a personal point of view I don't know if you have aready built, or designed or what not the kennels, but I have a few ideas on things that I wish I could change with ours. If you are interested please let me know

 

[Bo B Bunny]

We actually have an excellent boarding kennel just down the road from us. They have several stalls with fenced in runs for the dogs. They have 2 fenced play areas and a huge dog park with 2 areas.

I think the cost is $17 per day with 1 play time/walk - 20 min and maybe 2. My dog gets all sorts of time because my cousin's wife is the manager and their kids work there LOL!

I love it there. THey keep it VERY clean. THat is a huge thing. They give the dogs a treat if you tell them it's ok (milk bones) each day adn they allow them to bring special things - like a squeaky or blanket.

They do have a small cat boarding facility also.

If you had a place that you could keep small animals like rabbits/gerbils and have it clean/safe...... I would do it. Someplace quiet and ventilated enough for them - would be worth a bunch for people like us. We're lucky to have a vet asst that will keep them - but a knowledgable bunny person/rat/gerbil/kinda person would be nice too ya know?

My biggest issue with finding a place and before I started to take my dog there - was that I knew they were safe - couldn't get away - and treated with care and kindness.

OF course mine is with them.... infact she's spoiled.

 

[michele]

Gabby wrote:

From a personal point of view I don't know if you have aready built, or designed or what not the kennels, but I have a few ideas on things that I wish I could change with ours. If you are interested please let me know

Def. interested nothing has been built I am in the planing stages and want it to be a great place.

There will be at least one large yard that the dogs will be able to play in daily.
The kennels will most likely have an indoor area and an outdoor area.

 

[undergunfire]

I highly recommend that if you will be "boarding" rats, that you ONLY board one household's rats at a time. There are lots of depates and issues with proper quarantine with rats.

I would hate for you to be boarding two different household's rats at the same time, and one household's rats having the SDA virus or something of the sort, then spreading it to the other household's rats....thus causing death and possible serious issues with the owners towards your facility.


I would highly recommend just not boarding rats. Things get tricky with the whole "quarantine" issues with rats. I would explain more about it, but it gets pretty indepth. I, for one, do not think there is a safe way to quarantine rats, but a lot of people would agree/disagree with me.

 

[michele]

Great suggestions everyone. Keep them coming I didn't know that about rats so maybe on the safe side no rats or one group at a time. good things to think about.

 

[okiron]

Becoming an insured pet sitter takes a minimum of $350 ish a year. Becoming bonded takes $50/year. A little money goes a whole way.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Health issues definitely a problem.

Maybe in the future - you could get bonded and have "to your house" care for some animals...... ?

 

[Brandy456]

What kind of small animals, Do you include reptiles, Spiders, froms, Lizards?

How about birds, If they get too roundy can they irritate the other animals?

 

[Jenson]

I have never put any of my animals into boarding, although I've visited boarding kennels before. If I was going to board my dog, I would be looking for large, clean kennels, staff who know a great deal about every type of animal they might have to handle, a good safety record, enough staff to spend a good few hours with my dog everyday, night staff in case of sick animals or emergencies etc.

As for the rabbits, I would only put them into boarding if I had no other option, as I wouldn't want to trust strangers with them, my Jayboy has had some nasty gas attacks in the past and the thought of him being somewhere where his carer might not be there or know how to help him soon enough is just frightening! But if I did I'd expect large cages, staff with a lot of bunny knowlage, a rabbit room far away from barking dogs etc. a pen for the rabbits to come out everyday in, staff to play with them/brush them etc. so they're not alone all day expect for feeding/cleaning.

 

[Gabby]

Jenson wrote:

I have never put any of my animals into boarding, although I've visited boarding kennels before. If I was going to board my dog, I would be looking for large, clean kennels, staff who know a great deal about every type of animal they might have to handle, a good safety record, enough staff to spend a good few hours with my dog everyday, night staff in case of sick animals or emergencies etc.

As for the rabbits, I would only put them into boarding if I had no other option, as I wouldn't want to trust strangers with them, my Jayboy has had some nasty gas attacks in the past and the thought of him being somewhere where his carer might not be there or know how to help him soon enough is just frightening! But if I did I'd expect large cages, staff with a lot of bunny knowlage, a rabbit room far away from barking dogs etc. a pen for the rabbits to come out everyday in, staff to play with them/brush them etc. so they're not alone all day expect for feeding/cleaning.

I have to say aside from high price fancy boarding places, what it would cost to pay staff for all of that the average joe couldn't afford, and a person is better off hirering a sitter to come rto their house and stay with the animals.

I myself have a sitter for my guys. one I have to many rabbits to board someplace so someone has to come to my house. 2 one my dogs was adopted out 6 times before I became the forever home, and I said that as long as i didn't have to board I never would because I don't want her to feel like she was being abandoned again. She's been with me since 2001.

 

[Gabby]

michele wrote:

Gabby wrote:

From a personal point of view I don't know if you have aready built, or designed or what not the kennels, but I have a few ideas on things that I wish I could change with ours. If you are interested please let me know

Def. interested nothing has been built I am in the planing stages and want it to be a great place.

There will be at least one large yard that the dogs will be able to play in daily.
The kennels will most likely have an indoor area and an outdoor area.

easy access to sanatation is a must, one great thing we have is a power washer attached to a wall great thing, hind sight they didn't make a connection for outside, that was installed after. 2 the walls to the kennels are not solidly attached to the floor, they sit on the floor but there is a small gap under them guess what a dog pees the runs on either side get wet what fun.

there is a drain that runs the full length of the kennel in the back of the runs and it has a metal grid over it, metal grid a must, one my friends worked at a kennel with a large drain and no grid they lost a few toys and some important meds(whole bottles)down that drain.

if you are having a laundry area, it may be expensive now but invest in comercial washer and dryer, we have gone theoy 3 washers in 5 years and 2 dryers.

be reasonable about the storage area for clean and dirty laundry, our area in to small and cramped.

"cubbies" with doors like little lockers are awesome to store all the animals food and personal items, mini fridges or full size fridges in the food prep area, we have a fridge for the dog area and a fridge for the cat area. each also has it's own sink area.

I think a 6-8 foot tall fence is a must because you never know what type of dog you are gonna get. we started with a 4 foot fence, just installed 2 months ago a 6 foot fence.locks for the gate of the fence. another great idea if each dog has their own outdoor run area having an entirely enclosed fence area around it. that way a dog gets out his. her own personal fence area they still have that extra area to get through. We've had some smart dogs board with us that we had to double lock their doors because they could open them.

It's nice to provide a decent size area for each cat. it's also nice to have some that have removable area for people with multi cats who they want to be able to interact together but one boarding area is to small.

great to have single level boarding areas for aniomals that need a flat no jumping boarding place. and multi level areas for cats that enjoy shelves..

ok those are a few my thoughts. if you have any questions on them feel free to ask, or if you have an idea and wonder if we've used it or do it I can tell you how it works for us.

our clinic houses 6 animal areas, cat boarding, dog boarding, cat hospital, dog hospital, critical care, and isolation for the contageous or suspected contageous.