Choosing the Best Dog Boarding Facility in Denver
Travel Guilt-Free This Holiday Season!
Travel with Piece of Mind When Leaving Pets Behind During the Holidays using These
10 Tips for Choosing the Best Dog Boarding Facility
Denver, CO (November 2015) – Are you trading your next vacation for a guilt trip when leaving your furry friend behind? According to a recent study conducted by DogVacay, you’re not alone. 72 percent of pet owners surveyed feel guilty about leaving their pet behind, and an additional 24 percent experience feelings of guilt throughout their trip. USA TODAY reported findings that pet owners often experience further remorse in asking friends to care for their furry companions when traveling. To help pet parents ease their guilt during holiday travel, John Comandari and Vincent Palazzotto, animal specialists and managing partners for Woof in Boots in Denver, CO, the highly reviewed boarding and dog day care center in downtown Denver, share their tips for choosing the right boarding facility. Comandari and Palazzotto have nearly two decades of experience in working with cats and dogs, and they specialize in animals services to include doggie day care, boarding, grooming, pet taxiing, and training.
Tip #1: Look for amenities and safety features designed to reduce the stress of an environmental change on your pet. Choosing a facility with plenty of energy outlets such as pet-friendly games, daily walks or other forms of exercise should be an important decisioning factor. Determine how dogs are separated and integrated into play-groups, and how staff determine which is the right group environment for your pet.
Tip #2: Cleanliness is next to Godliness when it comes to pet boarding facilities. Ask how often the facility is disinfected, which products are used and ensure protocols are aligned with Department of Agriculture standards. A clean facility will help ensure your pet comes home healthy and free of any diseases.
Tip #3: Understand how medical emergencies are handled and who is responsible for charges. A protocol and contract detailing fiduciary responsibility should be in place which is easily understood, and readily available for staff to take immediate action if necessary. Facilities who have developed strong relationships with local veterinarians so that, in the event of a medical emergency, treatment is readily available.
Tip #4: Daily routines are an important part to ensuring your fur-ball is happy and healthy upon your return. Dogs should be rotated out of kennels frequently for exercise and bathroom breaks to avoid kennel messes and to burn off excessive energy. Moreover, ask if your dog will be provided a fresh-air walk or break and given any additional one-on-one time with staff throughout their stay.
Tip #5: Administering pet medication is a critical facet to choosing a pet boarding facility. Determine if staff are trained to administer medications, and ask how medication schedules are tracked within the facility. If your dog suffers from a specific condition, ask the staff or management how comfortable they are with caring for your dog’s condition. For example, if your dog suffers from epileptic seizures, ensure that staff members are familiar with the signs and symptoms of an epileptic emergency. Staff should be knowledgable and know how to respond appropriately to your pet’s specific needs.
Tip #6: Find out what happens at night. A good dog boarding facility will provide 24-hour monitoring to ensure pets are looked after in the event no one can be on site. Determine how long pets will be left alone and if someone is available to check-in on the facility in the event the facility doesn’t provide 24/7 staffing.
Tip #7: Determine if there is a staff page describing who will be interacting with your pet, and what type of experience and background they have. Having a staff well trained in dog behavior will help your pet be better socialized with dogs of varying breeds and temperaments, as well as helping to minimize problems. Properly trained staff can often detect problem behaviors early-on, and correct these issues before becoming a problem.
Tip #8: Transparency is equally important to ensuring you are leaving your pet with a quality pet boarding facility. As a new client, staff members should be excited to show you and your pet around their facility, leaving no area uncovered. By the end of the tour, you should trust your instinct on whether or not the facility and staff made you feel comfortable about leaving your pet there. You should be offered a free trial day in order to gain more insightful feedback on how your pet did in your absence.
Tip #9: Ask what the play staff to dog ratio is when visiting. Throughout Colorado, it is required that pet facility centers keep a 15:1 ratio of dogs to play staff personnel. Under no circumstances should dogs be left unattended in group play, which can be dangerous and against regulations in many states, especially if a scuffle were to occur. Request disclosure of how play staff are trained and what protocols are used in the event of an incident.
Tip #10: Ask what personal accommodations your pet will receive during their stay. It’s best to choose a facility that provides maximum social interaction and care. Depending on your pet’s needs, certain pets may require a quieter environment and less stimulation; whereas, other pets may require greater and more frequent stimulation. Determine if the center has quiet areas where less active pets can play and interact in.
Woof in Boots is Denver’s premier dog and cat grooming, training, day care and boarding center. Located in Denver’s Lincoln Park neighborhood on the 8th Ave corridor and within the heart of Denver’s Arts District on Santa Fe, our team blends a passion for pets and pet-inspired art under one roof.
Extra Service & Inclusive Rates
Our all-inclusive* doggy day care and boarding facility provides your pet(s) a safe, clean and loving environment surrounded with lots of fun activities for them to engage in throughout their day. Have a special request? Just ask, and our team will work to accommodate you and your pets needs. Whether it’s a simple walk, a trip to the off-leash dog park, some extra cuddle time or adherence to a specialty diet, we are here to provide what’s needed, all without an extra charge! Come meet our team of dog and cat care professionals who are here to ensure your pets are looking and felling their very best!