Leaving your pet at a pet daycare and boarding center is always a tough call for all pet lovers. You should understand that change of the habitual ambiance for your pet is already a stress, so you can only imagine how bad it feels if the center is of bad quality. This is why it is of utmost importance to choose your pet daycare wisely and carefully. Below you can read the most common red flags for daycare centers for pets. We hope that they will help you make the right choice without hesitation to provide a comfortable living for your four-legged friend and peace of mind for yourself.
No-owners policy
Remember that your four-legged friends won’t be able to complain about the small living space or bad breakfasts. They will only suffer and secretly harbor a resentment against you (yes, yes you!). This is why it’s so important that you see the conditions your pet will be kept at. Reliable and great pet daycare centers promote the policy of openness, which means that you can get in and see where your pet will live until you’re absent. If the manager or head of the pet daycare refuses to show you in, it is highly advised not to leave your pet there.
Ugly smell
This is the simplest and most vivid differentiation sign between good and bad pet daycare centers. Great facilities always care about cleanliness and sanitary norms to ensure that their clients are happy and comfortable. However, even if visually you like the facility and feel no smell inside, keep in mind that you need to wonder which detergents are used. You should verify if these chemicals are safe for your pet!
No paperwork about vaccination
Reputable pet daycare center will always demand its guests to provide paperwork that documents your pet’s history. This is a must-have demand because it influences the probability of your pet getting sick inside of the facility. If you are not asked, doubt the reliability of a given place.
Untrained staff
The field of pet daycare is not the most regulated one, yet there are still particular norms and rules that a great facility will follow. It is always more reliable and peaceful to leave your pet in the hands of trained experts who know how to treat a dog or a cat properly, and what’s the difference between a hamster and a guinea pig. Don’t get embarrassed to ask about staff training and to show you certificates. Pet daycare centers that will hesitate about providing you this info, should go into the blacklist of yours.
Common playgroups
Boarding facilities are great for pets because this is a great way for them to socialize with their mates. However, not all pets can play with each other. For instance, a Chihuahua is not the best friend for a Doberman Pinscher. You should ask every facility you consider leaving your pet at about the playgrounds that will be at a disposition of your pet. Reputable pets daycare and boarding centers always divide their playgrounds by size and temper. This always helps your pet to go through the parting with you much easier.
Inadequate yard
Besides the differentiation among the sizes and tempers, your pets also deserve to play in a clean and interesting environment. Check out how the playgrounds look like. Bad ones will have nothing, the good ones will be supplied by obstacle course and at least grass.
Don’t also remember that if your dog loves the “escaping game,” you must notify the center employees about this fact. Only in this way they will keep a special eye on him or her and guarantee that you will meet again.
No feedback
This point you will likely to learn only after you take the pet back. Good centers will share their observations with you so that you learn more about your little friend’s temper, his/her food preferences, and maybe new friends. This can be of a great use in the future. If you get no feedback, don’t hesitate to ask for some. Should the facility refuse to provide any, think twice before taking your pet to such pet daycare center ever again.
