2016-04-14
One of the things that made me the most uncomfortable about boarding my dogs over the years, (or even using a petsitter) was the fact that I knew that the staff would go home at night and leave my dog alone in a kennel or a run to fend for themselves. There was a giant disconnect between the life that my dog experienced at home and the days when I was on vacation or on a business trip. Not only was my dog in a cage or an otherwise prison-like setting (a far cry from my couch and my bed), but they were alone. It made it really difficult to enjoy my time away.At Dogville, at least one staff member is on site at all times, sometimes two, three, or more, depending on the time of day and number of dogs we are boarding. I (Delana), live 1.5 miles away from Dogville and every employee has my number and the freedom to call me or a supervisor with concerns about a dog at any time. During major holidays, I pull my share of the nights, so I can be available for rounds and to help with Comfort Care dogs. New Dogville team members are not allowed to do overnight duty until they have proven themselves capable and worked two or more nights with experienced overnight staff.Things are different at night. We take the dogs out around 10 or 10:30 pm in order to try to duplicate their experience at home. As final walks are done, the television is on in the sleeping room and the lights are gradually turned out, just like home. Overnight staff get ready for bed and make sure our camera system is tuned to both sides of the boarding facility. Once the lights are out, the camera system allows them to check on the dogs to see how they are doing or if any of them need taken out in the middle of the night. Anxious dogs can be brought into the sleeping room or staff can spend time with them in their rooms until they are comfortable enough to rest. It’s hard work at times, but it makes a huge difference in the dog’s perception of their time with us.
