Follow
BY Tegan Burkhard | Photos Provided by Stay Kennel and Carey Pet & Home Care
The menu is set for holiday dinner with the in-laws, grandparents and second cousins twice removed. Wreaths and winter-related decorations adorn the front door and entryway. Clean linens welcome the holiday guests. The only detail remaining is where to keep the pets while the house is temporarily overtaken by extended family, some of whom have extreme pet allergies.
When you need a place to take your pets during winter gatherings and vacations, local pet resorts, pet day care centers and pet sitters offer a variety of pet care options bound to comfort and protect your precious pets during your separation.
Relaxing Resort
Pet resorts like The Pawparazzi Lounge offer fun, relaxation and socialization during animals’ extended stays. Pets will hardly notice you’re missing during their pet vacation.
At Pawparazzi, dogs spend the day rushing through agility tunnels, chasing bubbles and fetching racquetballs and jolly balls.
“They play all day long, and they get worn out physically,” says Lisa Calhoun, business manager. “So when they do go to bed, they’re actually going to go to sleep instead of worrying about mom.”
Here, dogs also enjoy a taste of the festivities the same way as their owners when Christmas dinner is served. For dessert, they can munch on pet-safe treats like iced cookies, stuffed frozen Kongs and holiday goodies like sweet potato or pumpkin puree.
After playtime with the other pets, Pawparazzi spoils dogs with naptime and spa treatment. Trained staff members offer massages, nail trimming and ear cleaning for an added price. Dogs can also take a break from their busy day spent socializing by relaxing with blueberry facials.
“We’re trying to make it a positive experience for them, because this is their happy place,” Calhoun says.
To reserve your pet’s spot at an extended stay facility, schedule a daycare experience as soon as possible to ensure your dog gets along with the regulars. During introductions on your pet’s first day, the regulars will meet your dog one-on-one. The gentlest dogs will come out first to sniff your dog, while the high-energy dogs will come out last.
If your pet comes back with new play pals, you’re set to book an overnight stay at Pawparazzi. Boarding spaces are sure to fill up fast, so be sure to land your spot early.
“With these type of boarding facilities, you’ve got to try to plan ahead, or it’s going to be difficult to get in,” Calhoun says.
Doggie Daycare
Doggie daycare centers like STAY: A Four Paw Resort give your dog a place to play while you spend the afternoon preparing for guests. By the time you pick your pets up before dinner, they will be too tired to run rampant at home.
At STAY, dogs enjoy the main feature, 10 acres worth of grass to run over without damaging their paws. Here, dogs spend much of the morning running across campus with their newfound playmates before most tire themselves out enough to settle down and sunbathe.
“They run the show,” says Kate Snoddy, general manager. “They get to decide when they want to do nap time and when they don’t.”
Monitors also watch the dogs during playtime, looking out for those getting too rowdy.
“If you’re getting too rough out in daycare, you get put in time-out to redirect your thinking, to calm down a little bit, and we’ll go back out in the daycare yard,” Snoddy says. “We kind of treat it just like kid daycare.”
The best part is rain, shine or snow, STAY’s yard remains open. In fact, Snoddy says some breeds that are better suited to winter weather have a hard time turning down all-day play in favor of warming up inside. But at STAY, rather than letting dogs stay out all afternoon, they spend shifts inside warming up after playing in the snow. STAY also offers add-ons like baths, which are perfect for when dogs spend the day rolling in the mud.
As with the pet resorts, the daycare at STAY requires a temperament test before allowing any dog to play with the others. Dogs with high levels of aggression can still spend the day at STAY, however, they will be separated by a chain link fence.
At-Home Handlers
Pet sitters like Carey Pet & Home Care specialize in watching pets of all types, including horses, snakes, cats, sugar gliders and turkeys.
“We do not discriminate against any breed of any animal,” says Cris Carey, owner.
At Carey Pet & Home Care, the sitters keep a watchful eye over your pet in the comfort of your own home while you enjoy winter vacations. While you’re away, Carey Pet & Home Care also keeps in contact with owners via pet profile pages, where sitters leave notes about daily visits.
Sitters can make multiple visits to feed or play with your pet, or they can merely stop by to walk the dogs or take them out for a potty break. Carey Pet & Home Care will even transport your pet to daycare or boarding centers for those whose work hours start before the kennels and resorts open their doors.
Carey says one advantage of using a pet sitting service while you’re away is that pet sitters’ consistent comings and goings make the house look lived in, keeping burglars at bay. During winter breaks, Carey Pet & Home care can even spend the night monitoring both your pet and your home.
Besides keeping your home safe, Carey’s sitters are all PetTech CPR and first aid certified. In fact, to ensure your pet gets the best possible care, services will continue until you notify the company of your safe return.
In case you are hesitant about letting a stranger into your home, Carey assures that her sitters are fully vetted with intense background checks and shadowing experience before they are hired.
“Every single person we’ve got on our team, I would give a key to my house to,” Carey says.
Follow
