With the safer at home order rescinded, many folks will want to start traveling again. I don’t anticipate a rush of new bookings overnight, but I will be preparing for a gradual influx of boarders. I know most of you have been waiting until the last minute to cancel trips, in hopes that you will still be able to go. We send you an automatic email reminder 10 days out of your booking, so it would be greatly appreciated if you could let us know at that time if you are still planning on using the booking or need to cancel it.
Just so everyone is aware, there have only been a total of eight boarding dogs, plus about a dozen regular daycare dogs here in the last two months. I had to lay off 11 of my 12 employees back in March. I am hoping to get them all back in the future, but that depends primarily on workload. No dogs, no staff. I will start bringing them back one by one as we start to book reservations. In the meantime, we will still continue to provide our high-quality services to you, even with a limited staff.
The safety and health of our clients, their pets, and our staff is paramount. Therefore, some of the protocols that will continue to remain in place or that will be added due additional pets coming in (and therefore higher potential exposure) are listed below. These are in keeping with the current guidance for COVID19 safety and will stay in effect until further notice.
- AM hours will remain 7-8 and PM 5-6 for drop offs and pick ups
- Social distancing of 6ft required at all times.
- Pets, as always, must be on leash or in a carrier to transfer from owner to staff…NO exceptions. Do not hand carry in a dog/cat…we will not take it from you due to social distancing issues.
- Carside pick up and drop off service will remain in place (non-staff members will NOT be allowed in building). If you are boarding, please make sure everything on your client portal for your reservation is up to date to aid with the check-in process.
- Monetary transactions will be by credit card via our client portal (exceptions should be requested in advance of booking). Do not pay in advance, your card will be charged at pick up when bill is final.
- Since COVID19 virus can remain on bedding and other articles, we will be restricting what can be brought in. If you have a unique situation and feel you need to bring in something other than what is outlined below, please discuss with us in advance of your reservation. We will not bring anything else into the building.
- Dogs: can have two toys each, and they must be able to be sanitized (ie, they can go into the washing machine or they can be dipped into a bleach solution) by us upon arrival. DO NOT bring beds, blankets, dishes, large containers, etc. We will provide a sanitized blanket or bed of ours upon request. If you have a slow feeder, we can use that as long as it can be sanitized. So the only items you should bring are individually bagged food per meal for kibble, packaged ‘wet’ food, treats (do not individually bag), supplements/meal additives, medications, and up to two toys.
- Cats: We will keep your carrier for safety reasons, but it will be kept outside of building in a protected area. Provide kibble all in one plastic resealable bag, and any canned food and/or medications. No toys, no dishes, no bedding. We will provide sanitized bedding for enclosure as well as dishes and litter.
- Tours for new clients will be done virtually (over the phone for now…video forthcoming)
My staff will continue to follow the recommended COVID19 protocols for social distancing and personal hygiene. We will continue to follow the guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting the facility and equipment.
By limiting what comes into the building and then sanitizing what is introduced, we will be minimizing risk of exposure to everyone.
These protocols are meant to keep everyone safe and healthy. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Mary