Boarding Kennells

[the cat lady]

I don't know if this topic has been done before, so I will ask again anyway

We will be away in June this year, and are looking for a boarding kennell for our little boy, in the Newcastle nsw area.

He is 6yrs old, and a rescue dog that we have had since November last year. It had taken him a while to relax and settle into our home, and I am very reluctant to have to leave him for about 10 days

He has a few "needs", medication each day, a bland diet (which I am happy to supply), his bedding changed every 2-3 days (I will also supply this).

He has allergies, which can flare up, and he would need to be "watched" so that if the allergies did flare, they could be addressed quickly. Once he gets into the rythm of scratching and biting himself, it's hard to stop.

He's not particularly interested in playing with other dogs, but seems happy enough being with other small quiet dogs.

Being June, it will be cold, so our pampered boy would not like to be in a cement kennell outdoors.

I would greatly appreciate your comments and any advice you can give me

Thanks in advance

[HazyWal]

http://www.justlikehomepetresort.com.au/index.html

Not in Newcastle but not far down here on the Central Coast is Just Like Home pet resort. I have not used them as I have large dogs and they only board small dogs but friends of mine board their three special needs littlies here and highly recommend it. Deb is wonderful and I have heard nothing but glowing reports about her facility and level of care.

[Poodle Mum]

Definitely Akuna Care boarding kennels at Abermain.

Marcus and Ariel who own and operate the kennels are lovely.

[smisch]

cessnock - hunter valley pet resort, I work up there during the week and left my 6 show kids there first time they've ever been away and they had a great time. very simplistic kennels, indoor/outdoor concrete runs with off floor bedding but its double bricked so superwarm I wear shorts and tshirt during the early morning no issu everyone is inside at night, each run has their own door to the outdoor section which gets closed off in the evening. small staff numbers, everyone gets their own runs and private time in the excersise yards. food is provided very simple diet and medication and bed changing would be no issue we often have older dogs or ones with extra needs come in.. pm me if you'd like more info :) your always welcome to come have a look during open hours :)

[the cat lady]

Thanks heaps for your suggestions.

I just hate the thought of leaving him behind

I'll go and have a look at some of these later this week

[luvsdogs]

Definitely Akuna Care boarding kennels at Abermain.

Marcus and Ariel who own and operate the kennels are lovely.

This one, I haven't used them personally but many members at my obedience club use & recommend them. And they pick up the dog from your home.

[poochmeow78]

I personally wouldn't touch boarding kennels. For starters, it's a horrible environment for your dog. Even if they get the walks and plays etc that are promised to you, for the other 23 hours of the day your pet is confined to a small space, with nothing but the sound of other barking dogs. Even if you own an outside dog, at least when you are home they can hear you talking inside, the sound of the TV, you occasionally come outside to hang up some washing etc. I would suggest looking into Dont Fret Pet or someone else that can have your dog in their home.

Secondly, I hate to turn people off, but I've worked in the industry and you just don't know what people will and won't do for your pet at boarding kennels. That's just a generalisation you say? No it's not, because I worked at the best one and there were still indescretions. Imagine what the other ones are like?

As for Akuna Care, as the saying goes, all is not as it seems. They would shut dogs into their rooms (no access to the grass) if they barked due to noise complaints. Some of the staff would do this and also forget to turn the light on. So if your dog barked at other dogs, it would be shut in its room 24 hours, sometimes in the dark. I would never subject my little pooches to that. At Xmas time they over booked, and some dogs had to get put in the old pens. Very small, with no insulation in summer (only wire pens) and nothing but dirt for a floor. I wonder what excuses they gave to all their clients as to why all their permanent employees were suddenly not there anymore? Keep your eye on sudden staff turn-over, that's a great sign that somethings not right. The saddest part is that they boasted that you can drop in anytime to inspect their kennels. What they didn't show you were the dogs that had been locked up.

How do you know I'm not just a disgruntled person that's got it in for Akuna and is making things up? Because I'm happy to admit that other than the things mentioned above, they are the best kennel around Newcastle. Dogs get the plays, walks and treats that are promised, and there's no dog stacking.

Edited July 16, 2013 by poochmeow78

[the cat lady]

I personally wouldn't touch boarding kennels. For starters, it's a horrible environment for your dog. Even if they get the walks and plays etc that are promised to you, for the other 23 hours of the day your pet is confined to a small space, with nothing but the sound of other barking dogs. Even if you own an outside dog, at least when you are home they can hear you talking inside, the sound of the TV, you occasionally come outside to hang up some washing etc. I would suggest looking into Dont Fret Pet or someone else that can have your dog in their home.

Secondly, I hate to turn people off, but I've worked in the industry and you just don't know what people will and won't do for your pet at boarding kennels. That's just a generalisation you say? No it's not, because I worked at the best one and there were still indescretions. Imagine what the other ones are like?

As for Akuna Care, as the saying goes, all is not as it seems. They would shut dogs into their rooms (no access to the grass) if they barked due to noise complaints. Some of the staff would do this and also forget to turn the light on. So if your dog barked at other dogs, it would be shut in its room 24 hours, sometimes in the dark. I would never subject my little pooches to that. At Xmas time they over booked, and some dogs had to get put in the old pens. Very small, with no insulation in summer (only wire pens) and nothing but dirt for a floor. I wonder what excuses they gave to all their clients as to why all their permanent employees were suddenly not there anymore? Keep your eye on sudden staff turn-over, that's a great sign that somethings not right. The saddest part is that they boasted that you can drop in anytime to inspect their kennels. What they didn't show you were the dogs that had been locked up.

How do you know I'm not just a disgruntled person that's got it in for Akuna and is making things up? Because I'm happy to admit that other than the things mentioned above, they are the best kennel around Newcastle. Dogs get the plays, walks and treats that are promised, and there's no dog stacking.

thanks for you input poochmeow

We have had our holiday and boarded our dog at Just Like Home Pet Resort on the central coast. I can say that I was very happy with everything there, and our dog seemed to enjoy his stay. We were sent photos while we were away, so we felt at ease and didn't worry about him.

They were happy to administer his ear drops due to an ear infection. This is no mean feat as he really hates his ear drops!

All the staff were helpful and happy and we will definately use them again next time we go on holidays

[Teebs]

Have you looked into petsitting?

I use kennels for my dog but if she had allergies and such I would look at leaving her at home with someone coming over twice a day.

I don't live in the area so no advice on kennels

[Teebs]

And ignore it all, Old thread :laugh:

[poochmeow78]

I personally wouldn't touch boarding kennels. For starters, it's a horrible environment for your dog. Even if they get the walks and plays etc that are promised to you, for the other 23 hours of the day your pet is confined to a small space, with nothing but the sound of other barking dogs. Even if you own an outside dog, at least when you are home they can hear you talking inside, the sound of the TV, you occasionally come outside to hang up some washing etc. I would suggest looking into Dont Fret Pet or someone else that can have your dog in their home.

Secondly, I hate to turn people off, but I've worked in the industry and you just don't know what people will and won't do for your pet at boarding kennels. That's just a generalisation you say? No it's not, because I worked at the best one and there were still indescretions. Imagine what the other ones are like?

As for Akuna Care, as the saying goes, all is not as it seems. They would shut dogs into their rooms (no access to the grass) if they barked due to noise complaints. Some of the staff would do this and also forget to turn the light on. So if your dog barked at other dogs, it would be shut in its room 24 hours, sometimes in the dark. I would never subject my little pooches to that. At Xmas time they over booked, and some dogs had to get put in the old pens. Very small, with no insulation in summer (only wire pens) and nothing but dirt for a floor. I wonder what excuses they gave to all their clients as to why all their permanent employees were suddenly not there anymore? Keep your eye on sudden staff turn-over, that's a great sign that somethings not right. The saddest part is that they boasted that you can drop in anytime to inspect their kennels. What they didn't show you were the dogs that had been locked up.

How do you know I'm not just a disgruntled person that's got it in for Akuna and is making things up? Because I'm happy to admit that other than the things mentioned above, they are the best kennel around Newcastle. Dogs get the plays, walks and treats that are promised, and there's no dog stacking.

thanks for you input poochmeow

We have had our holiday and boarded our dog at Just Like Home Pet Resort on the central coast. I can say that I was very happy with everything there, and our dog seemed to enjoy his stay. We were sent photos while we were away, so we felt at ease and didn't worry about him.

They were happy to administer his ear drops due to an ear infection. This is no mean feat as he really hates his ear drops!

All the staff were helpful and happy and we will definately use them again next time we go on holidays

Glad to hear :)