Play & Stay is the fun name we give to dogs who are boarding with us. They are boarded in one of our spacious and comfortable Doggy Suites and have a playtime session and treat. The playtime session could be in a group or individual setting depending on your dog’s needs. Learn more about Play & Stay.

We board all types of pets – furry, feathered, scaly and more! Our typical boarders are dogs and cats, but we are not strangers to rabbits, hamsters, birds, and lizards.

For small animals we do require owners to provide habitats (tanks, bird cages, housing for guinea pigs & rabbits). If you have a unique pet and want to see if they will be comfortable in our center, ask us by filling out our “Contact Us” form.

Our primary concern is the welfare of our guests. For this reason, our minimum boarding age for dogs is 4 months. It is generally recommended that puppies get their first round of “adult” shots at 12 weeks (including rabies), and the second round at 16 weeks. Additionally, in any kennel environment, a young pup could possibly be exposed to air-borne viruses it could not fight off. Our recommendation is to board puppies at your veterinarian’s office until they have reached our minimum age requirement.

Senior dogs are always welcome. Be sure you communicate any medical or health related issues to us ahead of their stay. For more details on this, visit our Vaccine & Medical Condition Page.

We don’t require that our boarding dogs be spayed or neutered. However, if you have multiple dogs, boarding in the same suite, they will need to be spayed/neutered. Any dogs, who have not been spayed or neutered, will be limited to individual play rather than attending our group play during their stay.

We have webcams in our day camp rooms and you can watch them in action. Also, some of our boarding suites offer Pet Chatz, an interactive camera inside the suite – you can even dispense treats! If you miss them on camera, we will still let you know how they did with a Report Card that we send home with them.

Many of our pet parents like to call to check on their pets during their stay with us – we always let them know that they are welcome to call us at any time to check on their pets.

Most of our pet care centers are fully air-conditioned for summer comfort and heated in the winter. About two-thirds of our properties also have outdoor exercise runs and play yards for outdoor activity, weather permitting.

We have different types of suites for your dog and cat. Some centers have more variety than others. To see what is offered at your local center, visit our Play and Stay page.

Your pets may have one or two toys to play with in their suite during their stay. If you bring toys from home, be sure to mark them with permanent ink with your last name. Your pet’s toys will stay with them in their suites and we do our best to return all toys. Occasionally, a toy may be lost during a playtime or cleaning. If you prefer not to bring toys from home, you can purchase toys in our retail center for your pet’s stay.

We request that you not bring in any of your pet’s bedding for their boarding visit. We provide comfortable and sanitary lambs wool bedding for all our pet guests. Pets can be highly possessive of their personal bedding, and may become agitated when our staff removes the bedding for sanitizing, which, for the health of all our pet guests, we must do each day. Also, we don’t want blankets or other fabrics to get caught up or wrapped around the pet, which might cause them harm. Our bedding is hypoallergenic, safe and comfortable.

Our planned premium meal program at each of our pet care centers consist of precisely portioned feedings of nutritious kibble. However, if your pet requires a special diet, we encourage you to bring their food when boarding. Our trained associates will follow your instructions to make sure your pet follows his regular diet. By pre-bagging each meal in a separate bag labeled with your pet’s name, your pet will receive the exact amount of food that you feed him or her at home.

Best Friends has a mix of indoor/outdoor & indoor-only pet care centers. All Best Friends centers are highly sanitary and safe. Dogs in our care will eliminate in the exercise run of their two-room suite, in our playrooms, or outdoors (if the center is indoor/outdoor). These areas are well suited for this purpose, and are regularly sanitized. Our highly trained staff continuously monitors all elimination and consumption behavior, which is noted on each pet’s chart. To learn more, schedule a tour with us.