Every pet owner dreads having to make arrangements for their pets when they want to go out of town or have to travel on business. Either you have to burden a friend or relative with caring for your pets by having them host the animal at their place or ask them to come over to feed the pets and check on things or you have to find a kennel that you can trust that will care for your pet in your absence.
There's a growing niche market for pet care whether it's for a few hours a day, overnight, a week or a month, pet owners now have several options to choose from.
Doggy Day Care
Doggy Day Care Centers with cutesy names like "Central Bark", "Happy Tails", and "Wagin' Tails" are popping up all over the place. While offering conventional kennel services, doggy day care centers are focused on providing a place to drop of your dog for the day, much like you would drop off a child. They are kept in a safe environment and given walks, allowed to play with other animals while you are at work or school
Kennels
The age-old kennels are intended for long term dog care. Your animal is typically kept in an indoor/outdoor pen and is only given periodic walks. Some of them are not manned around the clock. Meaning the animals are alone overnight. I've read some really bad horror stories where kennel employees mistreated animals in their care, and I no longer will take my dog to a kennel.
Pet Sitters
Pet sitters are a great option because they care for the animal in your own home. Of course this means you must trust a stranger with keys to your house, and many people are not comfortable with the idea, even though most sitters are bonded and insured.
Pet Hotels
Pet Hotels such as PetSmart's PetsHotel offer the best alternative for folks like me. I don't feel comfortable with using a Pet Sitter because I like to ensure my home is secured and don't want them to leave a door unlocked, forget to set the alarm, etc. The Pets Hotel is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a veterinarian is on call around the clock. The animals are kept in comfortable kennels with elevated and cushioned pet beds. There are options to provide treats to the animals as well as provide supervised play time with other animals. You can even call and "speak" to your pet over the phone if you wish in some instances! Our dog is very social and loves going there because she can play with other and she's happy there. I think it's the extra attention that the animals receive that makes a big difference.
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