Orange County Register

Now that Halloween is officially dead and buried for 2009, attention turns to the winter holiday season, travel plans, and boarding options for Fido and Fifi.

If you haven’t thought about kennel reservations, now is the time. Timing is key because facilities will be booked before long.

You get what you pay for: Modern-day boarding has become a five-star experience for many pets, if you’re willing to spend. The days of leaving your beloved couch potato in a concrete kennel has been transformed. Dogs now can romp playfully with four-legged pals under the watchful gaze of attendants. Overnight guests often sleep on fluffy beds raised on platforms. Anxious owners can check in on their pets, courtesy of Web cameras.

If you’re not sure where you fall in the pet-boarding spectrum, ask yourself how much you want to spend and weigh some budget-conscious options …

Some tips before you get started:

• Be prepared for the sticker shock. Overnight boarding does not come cheaply. The average rate per pup around Orange County hovers over $40 per day. Discounts often are available when multiple days are reserved and more than one pet is boarded.
• Consider in-home pet sitting, where a service stops by daily to feed and exercise the family dog or spend time with the cat and scoop the litter pan.
• Ask a friend or neighbor if they’re willing to either pet sit or visit your house daily. If you are willing to do the same for a friend, consider the service a fair (and free) swap. However, don’t expect a friend to do it for free if you’re not willing to watch their pet in return.
• Check out reviews at sites like Yelp.com for reviews from pet owners.

Because there are so many boarding facilities across Orange County, we ask our fellow pet owners to weigh in.  Tell us your favorite boarding facilities and perhaps eliminate some stress for other pet owners.

If you don’t care to post a comment publicly, you can e-mail your recommendations to Pet Tales and we’ll share them with readers in a future post.

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