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Frequently Asked Questions
I've never boarded my pet before. Will he be sad/depressed/angry?Every animal is different in their response to a change in their environment or routine. Generally, pets don't have "emotional" responses to such things, rather just a reaction to the changes. If your pet is outgoing, likes meeting new people, likes going to different places with you, he will likely settle in quickly and easily. If your pet is shy or nervous, he may take a few days to completely settle. The reactions that we may see would be a reluctance to socialize with us, picking at his food or pushing his food bowl around and choosing to eat overnight when the kennels are quiet. Most dogs will "come out their shell" within 3 days or so. Cats that live indoors may take a little longer as they are not exposed to different people and environments as much. We allow these shy or unsure pets to choose their comfort level with us and respect their decision. If a dog or cat does not trust us enough to allow us to pet him, we will not push the issue. We will simply speak to him in a soothing tone as we attend to him. If he starts to feel confident enough to approach us, then we will let him make the first move. As far as your pet's reaction to seeing you again, we have never seen a dog turn his nose up at his owner on pick up day! Your dog will be so happy to see you, he won't remember that you even left him. Now, cats can be a different story. Since cats are naturally more independent animals, many will choose to get comfortable back in their home environment before they seek out the companionship of their family again. This is not necessarily anger, as much as it is a need to reclaim the territory. Back to Top
Should I book an overnight "test run"?An overnight test may not be practical given the explanation above. For those pets that are outgoing, it simply won't be necessary. For those that are shier, an overnight stay won't likely be enough time for him to settle in and have a positive boarding experience. If he is still nervous the next day and you "rescue" him from his own fears, the only memory he will have of boarding will be those fears. He will only be more nervous the next time you bring him. If he takes several days to settle in, but DOES settle in, when you pick him up at that point, he will remember feeling comfortable and loved and will enjoy coming back! Back to Top
How young do you take pets in for boarding?Due to current vaccination protocol, the youngest we can board a dog or cat is 4 months of age. This is generally when your vet has completed your puppy's or kitten's vaccination schedule for that year. (Please refer to our Vaccination Requirements) Back to Top
Will you administer medication?Yes. We will administer any oral or topical medication provided you leave us complete instructions on how to do so. If your pet is on an invasive type of medication (i.e. insulin shots, SubQ fluid therapy), we cannot take that risk. Invasive procedures are usually coupled with a very serious and precarious medical condition. Such procedures can, even if rarely, result in infection or other medical emergency that we may not be able to recognize quickly enough. We suggest that you board at a Veterinary Hospital where your pet would be able to receive immediate medical attention if something unforeseen may occur. Back to Top
What can I bring? Can I bring my own food?There is really no need to bring anything from home. We do provide toys, bedding and food for all boarders. If you choose to bring your own toys or bedding we simply cannot guarantee that you will get it back. Part of our general cleaning procedure is to completely strip each pen every morning and refresh with clean bedding and toys. With the amount of laundry we do on any given day, it is nearly impossible to separate out one pet's belongings and be sure it is washed and dried before he goes home. If you would like to provide bones or other "chews", feel free to do so. Our only suggestion is that you only bring "chews" your dog has safely consumed in the past. If you have to closely supervise his chewing, we ask that you do not provide those items. We do provide food for our canine and feline boarders. We provide several varieties of dry kibble made by California Natural and Hi-Tor. We also provide several varieties of canned foods. If your dog or cat is on a veterinary prescribed diet, or if you simply prefer to continue your own diet while your pet boards with us, we can accommodate that request for a small service charge (Please refer to our Fee Schedule). [If you are boarding a rabbit, bird, hamster, fish (pets other than a dog or cat) with us, we will ask you to provide that pet's diet, cage, and/or bedding at no additional charge.] Back to Top
Why do you require a Kennel Cough Vaccine within 6 months? My vet told me it is good for a year.Kennel Cough is an airborne virus similar to a cold or flu virus. No contact need be made with another dog in order for the virus to spread. As such, it is impossible to stem the spread should it be carried into the kennel. A dog can be an asymptomatic carrier of the Kennel Cough virus, and spread it by barking, panting or simply breathing. Given that stress is a factor for any animal in a new environment (hey, we humans experience stress when we travel, too!), and stress reduces any body's ability to fight off illness, the possibility of a dog picking up this virus is very real. Though Kennel Cough is not fatal, the symptoms include a "whooping"-type of cough that can be very uncomfortable for the dog and can result in loss of sleep for the entire family. Antibiotics are generally prescribed, and it takes about 7-10 days for symptoms to abate. It is an unnecessary inconvenience that over the years, we have found can simply be avoided by boosting the dogs immunity to the virus. As a vaccine "ages" in the pet's system, the levels of immunity decrease, therefore a more conservative schedule for boosting the immunity to Kennel Cough helps us be sure your dog's coverage is as close to 100% as possible. However, in rare instances as with the flu, your dog may experience some symptoms of Kennel Cough due to the vaccine itself. This is why we require a 10 day window between vaccination date and boarding date in order to be sure your dog is healthy prior to boarding. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please feel free to give us a call (978-683-5795). Back to TopWhy don't you accept 2- or 3-year vaccines, or titre tests, for Parvo/Distemper?The answer is simple. There is not yet enough research for the above protocols. The only near certainty for pets staying clear of these deadly viruses is the annual vaccine protocol. The research that says different is still preliminary and not yet complete.. There are still incidences of pets picking up the Distemper illness while on one of these extended protocols. Given the amount of animals left in our care at any time, we simply cannot take this risk. Please know that this policy is not upheld as an inconvenience to you. Rather it is the only way we can be reasonably sure that your pet will be free from these illnesses while in our care. Years ago the requirements for the Rabies Vaccine changed as a result of extensive research indicating that a 3-year vaccine was as effective as a 1-year vaccine. As research is extended, and/or vaccines are modified to be more effective for long-term protocols for Distemper, we will revisit this issue under the recommendation and advisement of our veterinarian**. Until that time, we will hold to our current annual requirement. If you have further concerns about this policy, please give us a call (978-683-5795). *UPDATE* **There are now two vaccines available to vets (for dogs) that have been successfully tested, and approved by the USDA, to provide 3-year coverage of the DAP (Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvovirus) viruses. These vaccines are Intervet Continuum and Fort Dodge Duramune Adult 3 year (not Duramune Max or a 5-in-1 Fort Dodge product.). These vaccines have been licensed by the USDA because they have been successfully challenged against a 3-year immunity. We will accept ONLY these two vaccines at a 3-year expiration. You must have your vet provide proof that (s)he uses one of these vaccines either by providing a copy of the vial label or some other document on your vet's letterhead verifying the use of one of these licensed vaccines. You should know that these vaccines actually contain more "vaccine" in order to cover a dog's immunity for 3 years. As a result of this, some dogs have shown more sensitivity to these vaccines, meaning some have displayed allergic reactions or other related illnesses after inoculation. Due to the increase in reactions, many vets do not use these vaccines, rather extend a 3-year expiration date to the typical annual vaccine. You should be aware that the package inserts for the annual Distemper Combo vaccines state a disclaimer against this policy. In other words, the manufacturers themselves will not back the product after one year especially for dogs in "high risk" situations which they define as dogs attending a boarding, grooming, or training facility, or dogs attending dog parks or who partake in any group play.** My dog doesn't like other dogs. How will you handle that?This is not a problem for us at all. If you refer to our Boarding Page and tour page, you will notice that each dog is boarded in his/her own space. There is no physical contact between dogs boarded in their pen/run. Though the outside run areas are separated by chain-link fencing, the interior pens are separated by a cement block wall 3/4 of the height of the actual pen. Above that is clear Lexan to allow light to brighten each pen. If adjacent dogs are "fence fighting" in their run areas, we will simply move them around so that they feel comfortable next to a different neighbor. However, for the most part, the dogs do recognize and respect each other's space. My dog doesn't like many people. How will you handle that?We board many dogs that either don't like strangers, men, or certain physical characteristics. We handle this is different ways based on the level of "dislike." Some dogs are simply nervous, especially at the thought of leaving their owners, but would not act out. For these dogs, showing a little sympathy for their fear by having the owner switch over the leash and having the owner say good-bye and leave first, eases that fear. After the owner leaves, these dogs are often fine, just a little concerned about where they are and who we are. Once they realize they are safe, they settle easily. Some dogs show more outward signs of distress (growling, showing teeth, etc.), but still not willing to escalate to causing harm. Generally, we will call one of our Trainers to come down and evaluate the situation to determine the best way to make the "switchover." In these situations, we ask the owners to please follow the Trainer's instructions to be sure everybody, including the dog, is safe. Then, there are a few dogs that we have found we simply cannot physically handle. For these few (and only these few), we escort the owner up to the kennel area where they leave their dog in an easily accessible run area. (No non-employee will ever be allowed free access to the kennel areas. This is for the comfort of the animals and the safety of the non-employee.) Typically, once the dog is settled into the run area by his/her owner, we have no need to have physical contact with him/her. Due to our indoor/outdoor boarding, the dog has the freedom to move around to attend to his/her needs without us. While the dog is outside, we can clean up and refresh his inside pen area. And, while the dog is inside we can clean-up his outside run area. Are the animals alone at night?We are proud of the fact that we are the only large boarding facility in the area with live-in staff that can boast 24 hour supervision. This, of course, does not mean that we interrupt the animals while they are peaceful and sleeping at night. However, we are here to respond to the needs of the facility after hours. Power outages, dogs in distress during a storm, etc. can all be handled during "off hours." If a snow storm sweeps the area keeping most people off the roads and out of work, we are still fully operational. We don't know of any other facility that can offer this kind of assurance to their clients. Do you board pets other than cats and dogs?We sure do! In the past, we have boarded birds, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, and fish. Please call us for additional details (978-683-5795).
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