“Here at Family Pet we value the trust you demonstrate by leaving your pet in our care; and while there is ‘no place like home,’ it is our sincere purpose to provide a safe, comfortable, and loving environment for your pet while in our care. Clients should feel confident that our boarding procedures are of the highest quality and that your pet is attended by trained, experienced kennel staff and a qualified veterinarian seven days a week.”
-Family Pet Management
Kennel Policies and Procedures:
All dogs are given multiple opportunities to potty outside per day. At lunchtime, they receive an on-leash long walk. Dogs with exercise restrictions still receive the same amount of human contact and care just through play-time and cuddles instead of long walks. Additional long walks can be added to your dog’s daily routine with a daily additional walk fee.
Medical boarding kennels are also available for reservation: pets that are recovering from injuries or illnesses are welcome to board with us as well. Our team members are trained and skilled to administer daily medications and/or injections to best suit your pet’s needs. There is a charge for medication administration per day, or for more advanced medication it is per administration.
All kennels are cleaned daily, and pets are given fresh bedding, water, and food. All litter boxes are cleaned twice daily. You are welcome to bring your pet’s favorite blanket or toy to comfort them throughout their stay, but this is not required. Family Pet Veterinary Center is not responsible for lost or destroyed items that you may bring in for your pet.
All boarding pets are fed twice daily unless otherwise directed by clients. Family Pet Veterinary Center provides high-quality maintenance food for intestinal health and is monitored for any behavioral or health changes that may occur during their boarding stay.
Should any pet become ill while boarding, Family Pet Veterinary Center has the access to necessary medical treatments that your pet may need? Family Pet Veterinary Center does reserve the right to treat your pet, as authorized by you at admittance. If you provide an emergency contact number, we will make every attempt to contact you prior to any treatment. The emergency contact number is someone in town, aside from you (being the immediate owners), that can make decisions and/or pick up your pet if needed.
Pets, like humans, need time to adjust to boarding “vacations” both during and following boarding. If your pet’s behavior is abnormal at pickup or when he/she returns home – do not hesitate to speak with us! We’d be happy to treat your pet for any problem, and wish only to return your pet to you in good health.
When Calling to Schedule:
When calling to schedule a boarding stay for your pet, there are a couple of things we ask about to ensure we’re able to accommodate your pet as they would be at home! The needed information is as follows:
- Dates of the boarding stay
- What time you’re planning on picking up and dropping them off
- The medications your pet is on, if any, and the dosage of said medication
- New clients must give us the information of the previous vet clinic if you’re not planning on changing primary vet care to us, although we would love to have you!
- Whether or not you will be bringing your own food to feed your pet, or if we can feed the food we provide, as well as the amount and frequency that you feed. See additional information for more about food while boarding
- Any medical or behavioral concerns that would be relevant while your pet is with us
You can also fill out our online Boarding Consent form:
Boarding Pick Up and Drop Off Times:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday | 8:00a - 5:00p
Tuesday & Thursday | 8:00a - 6:30p
Saturday | 8:00a - 1:30p, 6:00p pick up available upon request, and with an additional fee.
Sunday | 12:00p and 6:00p pick up available upon request, and with an additional fee.
When picking up your pet after hours, we do require payment at the time of drop off, as our boarding staff is not able to process your payment when you pick them up. We ask that you park in the back parking lot, knock on our door back there and a boarding staff member will be up shortly to assist you.
Requirements for Boarding:
Upon boarding with us there are some things that are required. Our requirements are company policy, and other places may be different. We are a Vet Clinic that also does boarding, and because of this, we are able to do the services while your pet is boarding! Just ask to have it done during your pet's stay when you call to schedule the boarding stay. These requirements for both cats and dogs are as follows:
Cat Boarding Requirements:
- Must be current on:
- Rabies
- FVRCP Upper Respiratory Vaccination
- Flea/Tick Prevention
- Intestinal parasites screening within the last 6 months
Dog Boarding Requirements:
- All dogs 6 months and older must be spayed or neutered prior to boarding. This is to reduce any aggressive behaviors and ensure the safety of not just your pet, but others staying with us.
- Must be current on:
- Rabies
- Distemper/Parvo
- Kennel Cough (Bordetella)
- Intestinal parasites screening within the last 6 months
- Flea/Tick Prevention
- If you choose to use a non-prescription flea and tick prevention for your pet during their boarding stay, Family Pet Veterinary Center will not be held responsible if your pet takes home fleas.
- Any aggressive behavior must be communicated with us prior to boarding. We can and do accommodate many different dogs with many different behaviors, but to do so we need to be aware of it beforehand. This is so we can provide the quality care your dog deserves.
If your pet needs any of these vaccinations or services updated for boarding, we would be happy to update them prior to check-in or at check-in for their boarding stay. The cost for all required services will be added to the estimate you receive when calling and scheduling a boarding stay with us. If you have any questions about these requirements, feel free to call our office at (515) 224-9747.
Additional Services & Information:
During your pet’s stay, we offer the choice between bringing their usual food from home to eat, or we can feed our food here. For dogs, we offer RC Canine Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dry and wet if we see your pet has not been eating normally during their stay. For cats, we offer IVet Reduced Fat dry cat food. Bringing your own food or choosing ours is completely up to you, and does not change the price of your pet’s stay!
We know that leaving your pet is a stressful and less than ideal solution than having to travel without them. If you request, we can let the boarding staff know to take pictures of them twice per week or even daily! In doing so we can provide you with frequent updates on how your pet is doing with us and set your mind at ease.
To ensure the safety of all pets who board with us, we use a two-leash system when walking them. We use quality slip-leads that we provide ourselves. If your dog requires an extra harness or prong collar, please send that with your pet to their stay, and we will be happy to make note of that!
Dogs are never in contact with each other during boarding with us, due to the fact that we don’t know how one dog will react to another and do not want to risk the safety of anyone's pets. They are, however, able to see across from them into other runs, as our doors to the runs are clear. Because of this, any dog aggression or anxiety should be communicated with us prior to the stay so we can plan where they will be inside the facility accordingly. If we know one pet is especially nervous or frightened of seeing their fellow canines, we have screens we can put up to block their line of sight, or place them strategically to ensure they are as calm as possible.
Furthermore, we are able to provide extra services to your pet during their stay. These are an extra fee and will be added to your estimate if you so request at the time of scheduling the boarding. They are as follows:
Extra Walks: $15.00 per walk / day
Nail Trims: $24.22
Ear Cleaning: $19.87
Anal Gland Expression: $27.23
We are able to do surgical procedures during your pet’s boarding stay. This includes neutering, dental procedures, and sedated shaving for felines (with approval from our Practice Manager and Doctors). We cannot guarantee that there will be time available for the dental or sedated shave during the days your pet is scheduled to board with us. If you know you are wanting to schedule one of these while your pet is boarding, let us know as soon as possible to ensure we have the available time. While your pet is undergoing the procedure, you need to be able to be contacted throughout the entire day. If you cannot be contacted, we will not be able to continue with the course of action.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. To book a boarding stay with us, you can reach us at (515) 224-9747 or email us at [email protected]. We are so excited to see you and your pet here soon, and we will do our best to make this experience the easiest and stress-free as we can.
