I will come right out and admit that I am completely neurotic about my pooch (aka bubber/pupper-dawg/puppa, and many other nicknames that are too embarrassing to put out here). This works out, as the pooch is a little touchy himself. He doesn't do well for long stays in kennels; he's used to hanging around people constantly and can't deal with just a few trips around the play yard, with being shut up in a crate the rest of the time.
Enter Pets Are Inn. We decided to give them a try for our big vacation, after hearing good things about them from a friend. The concept is great (and a little odd at the same time, but it works). Like e-Harmony for pet-sitters...you discuss your pet's personality and any particular needs, and the manager will "match" him to a host family. We never actually get to meet the family or find out where they live, but we can communicate through the franchise owners. We worked with Carol to coordinate his stay; she came to pick him up and drop him off, which all went relatively well (the dog does love his car rides...).
And best of all, he really seemed to enjoy his stay with his family - we got a note back and some pictures, too, that I guess serve as proof that he wasn't put to work dragging a snow shovel around someone's driveway or being dressed up as Bozo for a one-year-old's birthday party. He wasn't jittery-anxious when he got back, and he actually ate, which he usually doesn't do in a kennel.
The amazing thing is that the pricing is absolutely on par with kennels, for longer stays anyway. They do charge a round-trip transportation fee, which would make it less cost-effective for short stays. Honestly, though, after seeing how content he was, we don't plan on putting him in a traditional kennel again. And we have a lot of trips coming up! read more