Pet Boarding and Safety – Part 1

Pets are special members of the family, and ensuring their ongoing health and safety should be a primary mission of pet owners everywhere. You may have an upcoming vacation, business trip, or another event that takes you away from home. However, unexpected circumstances can place a pet’s safety in jeopardy, such as a natural disaster or other catastrophes. How can pet owners be better prepared for ideal pet boarding and care for a planned event or unfortunate situation?

In short, emergency preparedness is a necessity, and you should implement a plan to protect pets from danger and neglect. The Red Cross provides valuable advice on this topic on their official organization site at RedCross.org. Tips include:

• Pet owners should strongly consider microchipping for easy tracking should pets become separated or lost.
• Pet carriers are a necessity as they offer security and are far more acceptable in public places than the use of leashes or other restraining methods.

Ideal Pet Boarding

An emergency plan should also involve the proper delegation of caregivers. Create a list of reputable pet boarding services. For example, due to health reasons the Red Cross is unable to accept animals at their shelters. Therefore, it is crucial for pet owners to be prepared to care adequately for their pets themselves or to explore pet-friendly boarding options.

Pet owners should research quality boarding services as part of their preparedness plans so that they can have peace of mind that their animals get the care they need. PetMD urges individuals to secure kennels that are certified members of the American Boarding Kennels Association (ABKA). This association ensures that workers receive proper education in the ethically responsible care of animals. With more than 1,600 kennels located in the United States, pet owners have a greater chance of retaining clean and safe boarding services for their furry (or feathered) friends.

There are also online services that provide booking, ratings and reviews for local pet caregivers that work out of their homes. These include dogvacay.com and rover.com.

Whether you choose to care for pets yourself or use a service, ALE Housing Solutions will find a property that accommodates you, and special family members should you need temporary housing.

Continue reading and check out part 2 of our Pet Boarding and Safety tips.

Photo credits: ©iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages, StockPhotosArt, Leoba