Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Getting Started

How to choose the right boarding facility for your pet

Paige Cerulli
By

If you have to take a trip, whether for work or a vacation, then it’s important to find quality, trustworthy care for your pet. Boarding your pet can be a great option, but pet boarding facilities don’t all offer the same level of care. Finding the right boarding facility can take some time, and it’s vital to carefully research and interview any facility you’re thinking of using. By asking the right questions ahead of time, you can determine which facilities will most likely be best for your and your pet’s needs. Putting extra effort into finding the right facility can help ensure that your pet is truly in the best hands while you’re away.

Two greyhounds outside in a fenced-in yard
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Get some recommendations

Start by getting recommendations from your pet-owning friends and your veterinarian. Ask them which boarding facilities they’ve had positive experiences with. Additionally, ask which facilities they wouldn’t recommend and why.

Recommended Videos

As you start to research boarding facilities, keep those recommendations in mind. Do some additional research, too, and read online reviews. While it’s likely that even the best facilities will have received a negative review or two, look out for lots of negative reviews or reviews that continue to mention the same negative points. This feedback may help you start to narrow down your choices.

Make a list of must-haves

As you explore facilities, you’ll need to determine what type of care and any special services or features your pet will need. For example, if your pet is on a daily medication, you may need a facility that offers medication administration. Other services and features to consider looking for include facilities that let you keep multiple cat buddies together in the same space, facilities that have a veterinarian on-site to help care for pets with special medical needs, and other amenities like group dog playtimes.

Be sure to also ask what your pet’s time in the boarding facility will be like. Specifically, ask how much time your pet will spend outside the kennel each day, playing or interacting with people. Make sure the mealtimes are similar to your pet’s mealtimes, too, and get a sense of what the overall daily schedule is like.

Ask about drop-off and pickup

Boarding facilities have many different drop-off and pickup policies, and if you’re leaving early or getting home late, those policies might affect your travel plans. Ask each facility about their drop-off and pickup times to make sure they work with your schedule. If a drop-off time starts too late in the morning for your travel, you’ll need to have your pet spend the night before in the boarding facility, too, which makes for a longer and more expensive stay. This is important information to be aware of ahead of time.

Check availability

The most popular pet boarding facilities tend to fill up quickly, especially during popular travel times like the summer and around the holidays. As you narrow your search, ask each facility about its availability during your planned travel time. Some facilities can book up months in advance, so as soon as you’ve decided on the right facility, book your pet’s stay.

A happy puppy standing on a lawn in front of a building
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Get details about emergencies

Hopefully, your pet never experiences an emergency while in boarding, but it’s a good idea to ask any facility how they handle emergencies, just in case. Ask how they seek veterinary care if you can’t be reached and read over their contract, particularly any sections related to emergency vet care.

Finding the right boarding facility for your pet can take some time, and it’s possible that you may look at multiple facilities before deciding on the right one. The time you spend researching and visiting facilities is worth it, though, since you’ll be entrusting one of these boarding programs with your pet’s well-being and safety. When you ask the important questions ahead of time and carefully plan for your pet’s stay, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your trip more, knowing that your pet is in good hands. If you know that you’ll be traveling in the future, start the search for a boarding facility early on so that you have plenty of time to carefully make your decision.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Paige Cerulli
Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
Meet the 5 newest dog breeds and what makes them so special
If you’re thinking of bringing home a new dog, consider one of these elusive breeds
A Bracco Italiano runs on the beach

Some dog owners (and fans of dogs) can name dozens of dog breeds like the back of their hands, but others can't even tell the difference between a dachshund and a Corgi breed. That's OK! As long as a dog owner knows how to take good care of their fur baby, they don't necessarily need to know the fun facts. At the same time, learning about different dog breeds can be valuable in certain situations, whether you like watching dog shows or are considering volunteering at a rescue.

Even if it's just for fun, there's a lot you'll want to know about the five newest dog breeds in the show universe. The American Kennel Club (AKC) is one of the largest dog breed registries in the world, and it oversees the standards and requirements for each new breed that's created. Since 2021, it has welcomed five new breeds to its ranks, and you may have even seen these dogs in a local or televised dog show (except for the newest breed, that is).

Read more
When do kittens open their eyes? This is what happens if they do it too early
Find out all you should know about kittens opening their eyes
Two people holding a tiny gray and white kitten whose eyes haven't opened yet

Is there anything more adorable than a kitten whose eyes haven't opened yet? That's debatable. Although scientists have found that puppies are marginally cuter than kittens, cat people strongly disagree. Whether you're a dog person or a lifelong cat aficionado, there's something about tiny kittens that tugs at the heartstrings.

Have you ever wondered, "When do kittens open their eyes? What happens if they open their eyes too early?" You're not alone. We're here with the scoop on what veterinarians have to say about when kittens first look at the world, why you should never force a kitten to open their eyes too early, and what happens if your newborn kitten's eyes open ahead of schedule.

Read more
What you need to know about your cat’s swollen lip – what causes it and how to help it heal
These are the most likely causes and best treatment options for your cat's swollen lip
Woman petting cat

Your sweet furry friend is a wealth of enjoyment and entertainment — from funny sleeping positions to those precious purrs. Cat behavior can be somewhat of a mystery for even the most dedicated kitty lovers, though, and those feline feelings can lead to physical manifestations that puzzle us.

If you've ever looked at your cat and noticed a swelling on the upper or lower lip, here's what you need to know: This common occurrence isn't something to worry about, but it isn't something to ignore, either. While your vet checks your cat's health, you can read up on this confusing condition. Here's what causes a cat's swollen lip.

Read more