My Ownly Boarding Kennel
Monroe, WA
In a word, WOW! (Along with caring, understanding & knowledgeable)
(I'll start with two points: we live right near SeaTac airport and I don't care for driving. Yet, I still chose to drive the 40+ miles to Cathi's kennel anyway.)
McLovin - History and Challenges
My wife and I have three American Pitbull mixed dogs. Our latest addition, McLovin, came to use from a rescue in Valhalla Animal Rescue in Graham, WA. McLovin was one of 50+ dogs who were rescued from a hoarder situation in Pierce County, WA. And, he was one of the very last to find a permanent home.
While he had no issues with aggression during his 8 months in the rescue (where he ran freely with a pack), he - quickly - had an issue with the male APBT in our house. In reality, the existing male had an issue with McLovin.
After seeing a short but intense fight between the two, (which we later found out is common for dogs, but we hadn't seen before) we decided the best thing for when we travel is to have McLovin boarded at a kennel.
And, because we don't know his history, we wanted him at a place where he didn't have free run with other dogs. Just a warm, comfortable, safe and loving place where we knew we'd find him in the same condition as when we left him.
Drop Off/Expectations
My wife searched the internet for days for kennels that boarded large breeds and kept them separated at all times, while still providing personal attention/care and exercise. She finally found Cathi's kennel and it seemed like a perfect match.
Cathi was very thorough during the intake/drop off. And, she made clear that her role was to feed, exercise and love McLovin, not let him roam around. I think she, "To make sure he's comfortable and cared for until you return. That's it." And, that's exactly what we wanted.
Pick Up/Findings
I went to pick McLovin up and found only one negative... he seemed to like Cathi and her staff more than me! While we were concerned about abandonment issues considering he'd been locked in a trailer the first few years of his life and obviously abused, he didn't feel the least bit neglected. Rather, he found new family.
Little Extras
The best thing one can say about a business is that it treats its customers like family. Well, Cathi and her team treated McLovin, and us, like family. It was awesome.
And, we had a few more surprises... First, McLovin's nails were trimmed, complimentarily. Second, McLovin received a very creative and thoughtful, doggy 'report card'. Third, and best and most touching of all, Cathi had taken MANY professional quality photos of McLovin with a professional camera and background to boot. And she emailed us a number of these pictures, FOR FREE! This was flat out fantastic!
So, other than sleeping along side of us, having McLovin board at myownly kennel is the next best thing.
- Nail trimming
- POSED photos (with a professional back drop)
- Doggy report card read more