Dog Boarding at the Humane Society

[Beanie]

I have to agree that the cleanliness issue is the part I have a problem with. Even the lobby of our local shelter is... well... dirty. I support our shelter plenty but I wouldn't board Auggie there. Nuh-uh.
The only time I've had to board Auggie overnight he went and stayed with his breeder, but I'm lucky enough to have that option. He either stays with my parents or if they can't take him, he goes with her.

 

[Lizmo]

No way in the world my dogs will ever be boarded at local HS/Shelters. Never. Period.

I've much rather trust my vet/staff whom know my dogs and me. I've seen and worked in our local HS. My dog will not ever step foot in that place.

 

[Kat09Tails]

The seattle humane society is a disease pit. I would not board my dog there.

 

[Jules]

The shelter we adopted T-Bone from was really, really nice. They didn't have your typical kennel set-up, each dog had his own "room" enclosed by windows, or they had two dogs in a bigger one. It was quiet and the dogs seem as happy as I have seen dogs in a shelter. Their puppy section was gated off, and it was like a sectioned off play-pen.

Now, if it was something like that with an extra sectioned off area for boarding, I can see that some people would board their dog there. However, I can not imagine boarding your dog in a shelter that is just as loud and chaotic and most shelters are.

I had to board T-Bone once and it was terrible. We lived in a small town and there was not much choice as to where to board her and it was a simple kennel-like set-up. She was so unhappy... I felt guilty the whole time we were gone and cried about a week straight.

When we have to live now, we have a petsitter coming to our house. We screened the person via angie's list, called references, and only heard great things. It was actually cheaper than it was previously boarding a dog and two cats.

 

[Renee750il]

I could not take the chance that a mistake would be made and one of my dogs could end up being adopted out -- or euthanized.

And then there's the disease problem.

There is no way it would be worth it to me. I'd rather stay home if it came down to it.

 

[Sweet72947]

I have kenneled my dogs, and they do fine with it, but I wouldn't kennel them at a shelter that also took in rescue dogs, mainly because of the disease concern. FOHA was recently visited by a woman who is the editor for some infectious disease magazine, and she said FOHA was one of the cleanest shelters with some of the happiest animals she's ever seen. But even with that, we had CIV fly through the shelter last year (2009) and had to close it down to everyone but staff part of July, all of August, and all of September. Disease is always a big concern in a shelter situation. FOHA has in the past boarded dogs for people, although infrequently. We had big "JUST VISITING" signs on the kennels. But can you imagine if we had dogs boarding during the CIV outbreak? It would not have been good!

 

[MandyPug]

Never. But then again, i'd never even board Izzie at all. She's too precious to me.

I've met most of the volunteers at my humane society (i am one of the volunteers) and while they mean well, they're not all the brightest. They're not all positive in their handling and quite a few are choke chain domination folks. I know you can get that in regular boarding places too, except in those places people are accountable and they know who worked when. With volunteers it's very easy to deny being there at all.

Disease is a big issue to me too. We have a ringworm outbreak right now at the Humane Society. All it took was one infected cat to come in and we have around 50 infected cats and one infected dog (we only house 7 dogs). We've been closed for 4 weeks now and looks like we'll be closed for quite a bit longer. You just never know what's going to be brought in.

 

[Gypsydals]

Nope no way. Between worrying that he might accidently get adopted out or Euthinized(NOT saying it would happen but in my mind thats what I would worry about the whole time) and the diseases that are found in most shelters, NOT rescues but the shelters. I have a hard time leaving him home with a trusted pet sitter. I pretty much have this philosophy if he can't go, then I don't go. Right now my mom is trying to convince me/us to go to Co. next summer for my cousins wedding. And I'm trying to figure out how to take him with me.

 

[mom2dogs]

I'm sure many will not agree with me, but do you know how dirty boarding kennels are? Not talking about the "backwoods" ones, but the nice fancy schmancy ones too, some are just as bad as a humane society. Some are even worst. I'm not saying there's a concern, because there most definately is, in any place you board. You have no clue what other dogs are being boarded or what they are harboring (even with a vax record - some dogs still get sick even when UTD).

Yea, they request vax records, but a lot of dogs still go into boarding with no symptoms until they have a KC outbreak (which I don't freak out about, been there done that). I'm also "weird" in the sense I would rather my dog be boarded in a concrete run VS a room complete with polka dot wallpaper () because the concrete runs are much easier to bleach/wash. . . so unless they wipe those walls down too (and I'm not talking windex to the drool stain), you can imagine what's on those too. I'm sure I'm making it sound like all boarding kennels, regardless, are these big bad scary places. . .

but if you are truly concerned with the diseases, always ask how they clean their kennels (AND outdoor play yards) and with what. Half the time I'm surprised it's so minimal. I have talked to employees (of the fancy schmancy ones :rofl1 who say they had a dog with such and such and don't tell the owners who's dog came in contact with it when they check out, and telling me they hope they don't get a phone call soon

 

[PWCorgi]

Nope. I don't trust the shelter staffs around here as far as I could throw them (and I'm not very strong, lol). I haven't met any of the kennel staffs here though, I've never had to board Frodo and I don't plan on ever having to.

 

[Whisper]

No way in hell.

I've volunteered at my local shelter, and it's pretty decent as far as shelters go, but I still would never board my dogs there. It's a very stressful environment with a lot of people and dogs going in and out. It's incredibly loud, too.
I would worry Lucy would get adopted out and Millie would get euthanized. Absolutely no way. I wouldn't take that chance.

The disease problem is something to seriously consider, too.

Millie is always with me, except for very, very rare circumstances, and in that scenario, I had my mom watch my animals.

Ditto Renee. I'd much rather stay home.

 

[JessLough]

Nope, Rosey never gets boarded. She has once... and escaped, and has escaped out of other peoples yards when she was kept there. We have somebody come to the house, or somebody is home... we do not really go out all 5 of us anymore, anyways. And I am pretty sure the shelter here does not do boarding anyways. Plus, I bet that the HS would need the dogs to be vaccinated as well, just like any other boarding place.

Now, the ferret shelter? If I needed it, and Allie was unavailable, then I would in a heartbeat. They are *amazing* people, who are all about ferrets, and love them and would do anything for them.

Iunno, it is sort of one of those things where different things for different people. If it is not for you, then leave it be. It may be for somebody else, and I find it kind of silly to say it is like leaving your kid at an orphanage, that is wayyyy overexaggerating.

 

[AGonzalez]

I wouldn't do it, because I avoid boarding at all costs to begin with. I just think it would be a really bad idea for my dogs.

Would I board at MY humane society? Hell yes I would, that places is nicer than most boarding kennels and extremely clean. Would I be worried that someone would adopt my dog? No, not really...

 

[Renee750il]

I'm nearly paranoid about leaving mine ANYPLACE. Two of the vets here have been caught stealing animals that were boarded. One was horses -- more than once, the other was an SAR Bloodhound. The owner was told his dog had died! Fortunately, someone who worked there had some personal ethics and let him know the vet had sold his dog to a third party. He got his dog back.

 

[misfitz]

Wow, Renee, that's awful! I can't believe someone would do that!

I wouldn't board Sienna at the HS for all of the same reasons as everyone else. Also because she came from one of those "ten to a cage" shelters and she was so, so freaked out when I got her. I could never subject her to that again. I won't kennel her either, unless I absolutely have no other options. Some dogs are fine with kennels, but Sienna would be terrified. She usually stays home with my roommate, or goes to visit friends/family. Luckily for me, she has a huge fan club - I joke about having a waiting list for dog sitters.

I can kind of understand, like Jess said about the ferrets, how boarding rabbits at the rabbit rescue would be fine. I'd probably do that, with rabbits or hamsters, but not with dogs and not at the HS - rescue is a somewhat different scenario.

 

[Laurelin]

We don't board our dogs... We drive them out 3 hours away to Summer's breeder and they stay there. It takes much more time but I know they're safe and well cared for and not kenneled. I am very very glad I have that option.

 

[Whisper]

I'm nearly paranoid about leaving mine ANYPLACE. Two of the vets here have been caught stealing animals that were boarded. One was horses -- more than once, the other was an SAR Bloodhound. The owner was told his dog had died! Fortunately, someone who worked there had some personal ethics and let him know the vet had sold his dog to a third party. He got his dog back.

That's horrible. I'm so glad that man got his dog back, though!

I don't like leaving my dogs at all, and I'm very picky about where they go, because frankly, there are very few people I trust with my dogs. Neither of them listen to anyone but me, either.

 

[Toller_08]

Never, ever would I board my dogs at a shelter or Humane Society. I have a hard time even thinking about boarding them at an actual boarding kennel. The Dobermans go to their breeder's house, a person whom I trust 110% with them. If they couldn't go there, I don't know what we'd do... I don't trust anyone else to be able to take care of them properly. And Dance, she stays home with my brother if we're going on a trip and he opted not to come (which he usually does), or she comes with us if possible.

 

[StillandSilent]

I would not board Argon there, period. He spent far to long of his life in that place, and while he loves visiting the staff he remembers, I don't want him staying without me. His DA issues make him a poor choice for boarding in that sort of situation anyway.

Grimm, I'm actually on the fence about. He does belong to them after all, and I have a weekend trip coming up to do transport where he'll be at loose ends. Hopefully my mother will consent to watch him, since she's already doing Argon.