by Sheri Gray

Created on: February 03, 2007   Last Updated: February 28, 2008

Being that I am the owner of a doggie day care/boarding facility I thought I might be able to share in this particular subject. I cannot tell you how many people I have serviced over the past several years because of their bad experiences with kennels. That is not to say that there are no good kennels, only that the ones my cleints have come across have been less than satisfactory.

I have heard stories of abuse, neglect and even a case of the dog escaping the kennel, never to be found. I myself have visited several kennels and found them to be empty. Not empty in the sense of volume of dogs, rather empty in the sense of the homey feeling a pet is used to getting.

Many dogs, especially ones that have not been kenneled before become extrememly stressed and exhibit physical ailnesses from the experience. The service that I offer my clients gives them the opportunity to either have their pet stay in the comfort of their own home (which I feel is the best way to keep the stress level at bay), of for them to stay with me in my home with my family and dogs/cats.

I believe that the pet sitting industry has flourished immensely in the past couple of years mainly because of the lack of care dogs/cats are given in kennels. Yes, kenneling a dog/cat is probably the least expensive way for one to ensure that their animal is cared for when they are not around, however as the old saying goes you most definitely get what you pay for and it is my belief that with what people spend on their animals now-a-days ensuring that their beloved pet stays well and content while vacationing is worth its weight in gold.

As you can see here, I am certainly not a proponent on having one's pet kenneled and ask that if this is the route you are considering for your pet, please research the kennel in depth before committing to leaving your family member there. Think of the research that you would do if it were your child, going to a sleepaway camp.

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