No holiday for pet-sitters
If you’ve planned a Fourth of July weekend without pets and haven’t booked a kennel yet, it may be time to stop chasing your tail and start begging.
With one of the busiest weekends for boarding pets approaching, some kennels are turning away potential customers and suggesting they find friends or neighbors to care for their animals instead.
“Our big holiday is the Fourth of July, and I’ve been booked up for about three weeks now. I try to tell people that with the Fourth of July all the kennels book up,” said Vicki Erickson, who owns West Wind Kennels with her husband, Gary Erickson.
The climate-controlled facility, west of Spokane near Medical Lake, has 100 dog kennels and 32 cat cages, which fill at a frenzied pace in June through August.
With the busy season for kenneling under way, pet owners who don’t get a jump-start on summer vacation plans might find it easier to get World Series seats than book a humble cage for Mitten or Fido.
“Every year it gets busier and busier,” said Cyndie Petillo, who owns Coeur d’Alene’s Paws and Claws Pet Resort at Laundramutt with her husband, Tony Petillo.
She estimates that her kennel does 75 percent of its annual business during the summer.
Amenities offered at the resort include 21 dog suites with theme murals, 18 double-decker cat cages and soothing music. The weekend of the Fourth booked before Memorial Day, and six of the furry guests are coming solely to escape noisy fireworks.
In Spokane Valley, Julia’s Jungle at Mountain Empire Veterinary Services is also full next weekend.
“We’ve pretty much been booked for the past two months,” said Karen Williams, a kennel assistant at the facility.
The facility offers personalized care for up to 26 animals and has a list of 15 pet owners hoping for last-minute cancellations.
“We’re pretty busy. We could definitely use some more room,” Williams said.
Local kennels typically charge $10 to $30 a day for accommodations ranging from simple cages to deluxe suites with televisions and big slobbering dog parties. Some also offer grooming.
Like many pet owners, Paula Favaro is picky about where she leaves her cat, Lily.
At the ripe old age of 11, the blue-eyed cat with white fur is no fan of kenneling.
“I like going to one place because she’s familiar with it, and she’s as comfortable as she can be not being at home,” said Favaro, who lives in Browne’s Addition.
Last summer, the 55-year-old pet owner waited too long to make reservations and couldn’t get Lily into West Wind Kennels, her preferred facility.
Hiring a pet-sitter wasn’t an option, because Lily is an escape artist with a penchant for mischief.
“I can’t leave her at home because she gets mad and pulls stuff. She can get into trouble when she gets bored,” Favaro said.
After nearly canceling her travel plans, she reluctantly left Lily at a new kennel.
When she returned, the cat was haggard, thirsty and notably worse for the wear.
“If you have a place you know is reliable, you don’t have to think about it,” Favaro said.
Veterinarian Gordon Jewett of All Creatures Veterinary Clinic favors home care to kenneling because it’s less stressful for animals.
However, he believes some kennels offer a capable mix of care and pampering.
He suggests that people looking for a kennel ask family, friends and the animal’s veterinarian for recommendations. Pet owners without referrals should request references from the facility and do a spot visit to inspect for cleanliness, he suggested.
“The really good ones will welcome you and want to show you around,” Jewett said.
Clarrah Kennels and Pet Hotel, located eight miles north of Wandermere Golf Course, filled over Memorial Day weekend but still has openings for the Fourth.
Owners Marilyn and Lloyd Denton retired from Fairchild Air Force Base and have large kennels that cater to military personnel leaving on long deployments.
Some of their other customers are pets of retirees who travel off-season.
However, Marilyn Denton, 65, noticed some of the summer travelers are caught off guard when it comes to planning.
“Those are the ones who decide at the last minute, ‘We’re going to go bye-bye,’ and someone says, ‘Oh, did you book the dog?’ ” she said.
To avoid the kennel rush, Erickson suggests making reservations a couple of weeks ahead and even sooner for holidays. August also gets hectic because children’s summer sports end and families hit the road, she said.
People planning winter trips should remember their pets. Paws and Claws Pet Resort is already booked for Christmas and Thanksgiving, Petillo said.
“Summer is definitely a busy time, but it’s busy all year long because people travel throughout the year.”