Most times, pet owners face the challenge of what to do with their pets when they encounter situations that interfere with the pet’s normal care such as family emergencies, travel, vacations, illness, etc. Some pets may suffer from travel-induced illnesses making it difficult to travel with them; some owners may also consider leaving the pets with untrained neighbors and friends which would more often than not yield unsatisfactory results. However, most pet owners prefer the use of professional pet boarding services. At a full-time, knowledgeable, and experienced pet boarder, pets can get access to dependable, secure, and safe pet care. This begets the question what to look for in a pet boarder so that when you have to travel somewhere without your pet, you could be rest assured that your pet is fine.

What to look for in a boarder?

Pet boarders are businesses that are specifically set up to care for pets. The American Boarding Kennels Association (ABKA) has specified guidelines to consider when evaluating and selecting to establish what to look for in a boarder. According to ABKA, boarding kennels should provide a variety of pet services, such as training classes, pet supply sales, boarding, grooming, and pet shipping. Boarded pets include dogs, horses, cats, birds, reptiles, and exotic pets. The factors stipulated herein summarizes what to look for in a boarder:

• General appearance of the pet boarder
  

  The pet boarder should follow regular clean up procedures that ensure that it looks neat and clean and has a clean and fresh smell at all times. The facility should be free of dirt, fecal accumulation, odors, and parasite infestation such as flies, fleas, ticks, etc. There should be provision of access and of viewing the place where the pet will be staying.

• Safety
  

  The facility should be free from sharp objects, harmful chemicals, items that may cause risk when swallowed by the pet, solid dividers between pets, barriers in exercise areas, and have surfaces with good traction even when wet. Fire fighting equipment should be available and accessible as well.

• Security
  

  Look for a pet boarder that has sturdy, well-maintained fencing, gates, as well as dividers between runs to ensure that your pets do not escape in an attempt to find you.

• Supervision
  

  The pet boarder should have adequate trained personnel that will check on the pets frequently to detect symptoms of illness as well as distress such as lethargy, severe intestinal disorders and urinary problems, loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing, or discharges from the eyes or nose. Competent boarding personnel should be able to detect such symptoms and offer or seek veterinary services if need be.

• Health
  

  The facility should consider the following health measures that ensure the wellbeing of the pet.

  • Provision of clean drinking water
  • Preferred brands of food
  • Clear procedures on veterinary services access
  • Immunization requirements
  • Medication policies as well as procedures
  • Parasite control

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