HarperLee

Thanks - looked at this, but they don't take cats, And the place they recommend for the cats didn't look as good a set up as Vern Ryan's cat enclosures. I could see Mornington Lodge is highly recommended on DOLF. I'm going away late Nov-Dec and I also don't have time to check it out (I'm in Altona). But, if I heard bad reviews about Vern Ryan's I certainly would! tks

Thanks all - very valid points. Sadly I'm not in a position to test the kennel out, hence why I trekked out to check it out. I wouldn't put my babies into anything I haven't seen. Sorry if I wasn't clear - they have three levels of accommodaiton and I saw three levels: Penthouse, Executive and Standard. Standard is similar to most standard kennels, but the runs were longer than I had seen elsewhere. The Executive seemed to be the most appropriate for my dogs. With one on a corner (which I've requested) had an outdoor area about the same size as my courtyard where I used to live in Canberra. And, what I liked about this one is that they would get all the passing traffic - they love seeing people, the more the merrier. It would make them happy and settle them more than stress them. As others have mentioned, it all depends on the dog and its character. They have enclosures that are more private, but this isn't what my kids would want. I agree about 'cuddle time'. They say they have standard interaction, but this is additional. the dogs, both being 9 going on 10, could cope without lost of run time, but I was considering it for my over-active kitten, especially as he will be separated from the dogs and he plays with them constantly. Thanks again for the feedback - sorry for posting an emoticon against the title - still learning about DOLF!

The glorious Melbourne bayside suburb of Williamstown is hosting a Dog Day on Sunday 14 October from 10am until 4pm to encourage dog owners and all about responsible pet ownership, fun games for dogs, etc. More details are available: http://visitwilliamstown.com.au/event/dog-day-dog-town-commonwealth-reserve-williamstown They are hoping to make this an annual event, even possibly host another event in Altona where we have wonderful off-leash parks on the beach and the Council designated Dog Beach.

I will be going away soon and need to board my three babies: Puppy, 9; Kisho,9; and Jem, my 10mth old kitten. If I wasn't going for work I probably wouldn't go away - I just hate leaving them (and as I type this the three are sleeping together near me ). I've tried babysitters / house sitters previously when I lived in Canberra. This sometimes worked, but due to a really bad experience with a babysitter Puppy can now get aggressive towards them. A dog behaviourist explained that she is protecting her own home. This can really stress her too and trigger off health issues. No doubt it doesn't help that Puppy came from Vietnam and spent 7 months in quarantine (6months in Singapore and a month in AQIS Sydney). Kisho, my other dog, has diabetes insipidus (water diabetes). If he doesn't get his medication or food he can have an epileptic fit. Because I've shifted to Melbourne recently and still getting to know people, I thought it was much safer to board all my babies while I'm away. I was recommended Vern Ryan's Pet Resort http://www.vernryanspetresort.com.au/ by a colleague who uses them. I went out last weekend to check them out, which they were happy for me to do. They gave me a tour and didn't stop me from going anywhere I wanted. All the animals appeared happy, contented, the place was clean and certainly didn't smell. I thought the set up was good. The said they can accomodate Puppy and her moods, watch her for any potential health issues, and Kisho's diabetes wasn't a problem. Has anyone used them recently and able to provide feedback? I saw an old DOLF post where there was mixed feedback about Vern Ryan's. This was the only feedback I could find on the web. Whereas, there's lots for Kepala and everyone seems to rave about them. However, they won't take Kisho because he's diabetic (they said if he doesn't eat due to stress, then this causes serious health issues - which it does. for this reason they won't take diabetics). Kepala recommended Hanrob, but I've read some not so great reviews about Hanrob. From the photos on their website http://www.hanrob.com.au/ it looks like a facility for the owners. I can't see much daylight in the enclosures and it looks as if the noise could bounce around the walls / enclosures, a complaint about other Hanrob facilities in other states. It's also based at the airport (Tullamarine), so I would imagine there is constant noise from the flights. Puppy has hearing issues (perforated an ear drum and recurrent ear infections), so this would send her into a depression and cause pain for her (cupboards closing can distress her). Moorholme Park was recommended on an older DOLF post, but if you Google them there are some scathing reviews. I'm also reluctant to board Puppy in anything that looks, resembles quarantine kennels and poor Kisho has had a dreadful life until he was rescued (by Mother Moocher), I wouldn't want him in this standard accommodation. Vern Ryan's offer a range (I was looking at the Executive Suits, not the Penthouse Suites and not the Standard). In the pricing they offer extras like 'cuddle time'. How is it possible to guarantee that this happens? I also want my dogs to have specific kennels in the Executive range that I saw when I visited. How can I guarantee this? I'm finding it tough to find pet boarding accommodation that will suit them and on my side of town (Melbourne's Western suburbs). I just hope that Vern Ryan's Pet Resort will be right. Any advice, feedback especially from anyone who has used this boarding kennel, hints, ideas would be helpful. Thanks

Melbourne Williamstown Serviced Accommodation - owner Lynne Pike. Has great house in Williamstown that I stayed in with my two dogs with secure backyard. Nothing a problem and the dogs loved it, were able to come into the house. http://www.williamstownaccommodation.com.au/index.html Wangaratta Advance Motel http://www.advancemotel.com.au/ It was really good for the dogs.Stayed with my two dogs en route to relocating from Canberra to Melbourne. They were already stressed with removalists, the long drive to Wangaratta, and one panicked doing his business in the room - and on the sheets! I offered to pay for the sheets, additional cleaning, etc (even though I had cleaned the room) - and the owner was just thankful I had been honest, explained what happened. He said it happens and they and new sheets aren't costly. Other accommodation in Wangaratta had vacancies, this place was booked out! Demonstrates there's a market.

Pet Doors AustraliaHi, this is my first post on DOLF! I recently (June) used Pet Doors Australia to install a custom-made door for my French doors (feature multi-panes). I had just shifted from Canberra to Melbourne and due to my dog, Kisho, having diabetes insipids which means he needs to drink lots and urinate lots - we needed a dog door urgently. I also wanted the best for Kisho and not to ruin the aesthetics of my lounge and doors. They were fantastic. Came out one day and installed the custom-made door the next. Efficient, on-time and most importantly - Kisho is happy and it looks great. I can see you are in Melbourne and they are too. For information, many other companies wouldn't touch it and if you have metal windows / doors, there's now an issue with absestos in the putty so most window/door suppliers won't retrofit. i was lucky the doors had a wood frame (my bay window is metal so this would have asbestos in the putty). Hope this helps.

sorry - just getting used to DOLF - posted twice accidentally. I meant to add to my post below - some of the companies I approached they wanted to re-design the door, etc. They offered fanciful suggestions. That's why I liked Pet Doors Australia. It was no-nonsense, practical and he delivered on what I wanted (in my glass door). The only thing is I did want a magnetic door but was told that's not possible with the size of my dog (Pomeranian x Spitz), only for very small dogs. Perhaps that's because I asked for this after the original dog door was installed (as I got a cat recently and I don't want the cat using the dog door - but would). Puppy, my other dog, won't use the dog door at all - didn't in my last place either. Just her character.Kisho loves this as he feels special as if it's his own door. Sorry for stuffing up my posts!