We’ve put our dogs up at assorted kennels over the years. In Louisiana, we found a place that had a special padded kennel for “storm dogs” – like our golden, who has such massive thunderstorm anxiety he’ll injure himself, he gets so upset. In Maryland, we’ve found two of widely varying facilities but both that provide lots of attention and supervision; the dogs would spend all day playing with the regular day care dogs, and so they’d come home exhausted and happy. The only thing I really, truly do not like is that lately all the kennels have started charging by the day – calendar day, that is; so if you bring your pets in at 5:00 p.m. and pick them up at 8:00 a.m. the next morning, you’re usually charged for two days. Which is outrageous, but we’re pretty much stuck with it.
But recently? We then learned that the office manager of our vet’s office, who’s also vet tech trained, has started doing petsitting both in our house or hers, and will board our two dogs home overnight for considerably less than it would cost to board them anywhere else. She even provides door-to-door service, picking them up and delivering them. She can also pop over on her lunch or at a break any time during the work week if need be since the office is only a few blocks from our house; and if they get sick, well, she knows who provides their vet care. It’s really the best of all worlds.
The good part about boarding is that our dogs know that we’ll be back to pick them up, so they regard it as a vacation, and a very exciting one at that; we’re not going to indulge them with luxury suites with TVs and window seats, or doggie acupuncture and a special bedtime story, but we always want to make sure they’re properly taken care of, meaning food, water, and exercise. We love our dogs, but they’re dogs. They’re just as happy sleeping on an old piece of carpeting as on a luxury memory foam mattress or something. I guess we’re just not the kind of people who Chateau Poochie (where’s the pukey smiley when you need it?) is aimed at. But that doesn’t lessen my admiration for people who have created the business model that allows for places like this.
Trickle-down Theory, guy. Trickle-down. Not the way to plan an economy, perhaps, but definitely the way to look at this business.
Makes me think of the show Ace of Cakes. No one NEEDS those cakes. And I imagine that they cost the earth. But people order them and it keeps the crew fed and playing with cakes for a living.
There are worse jobs than looking after dogs in a pimped out setting.
My wife and I give money to the humane society and sometimes here it’s a shame that we give money to animals when there are humans in trouble. I always wonder if those people say the same thing to anyone who comes home with a new Wii. Probably not. The fact is that we choose to spend our hard earned money on critters because critters suck less than humans. Deal.
The hotel sounds like a good scheme for someone. If some people don’t know how to waste their money, good for anyone who figures out a way to help. My theory is that if it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt anyone, it’s good.
My border collie goes to Camp Bow Wow when we are gone overnight or when we need a break from one another (anyone who has owned a BC knows of what I speak).
The facilities are very clean, the dogs play in groups, and there is agility furniture and nice private runs and beds for naps and staying overnight. At $30 a day it is quite a bargain.
My other dogs would be horrified if I dropped them off at Camp; I’m fairly certain that Orange Dog would have a nervous breakdown if I wer to give her this “luxury.” They get the $15 stop-by-and-let-you-out service.
Well, maybe they shouldn’t be free to do as they please. No one is sacrificing to send their dogs to these places- it’s a clear sign that you just have too much goddamn money.
Oh, come on! I’m not a communist but spending that amount of money on a dog is obscene. It doesn’t change the fact that they can “do whatever they want” (duh), but what they’re doing is disgusting. They can gold-plate every possession and that will be disgusting, too. What’s so amazing about this opinion?
It’s ignorant. If they spend their money, they no longer have their money, thereby giving control over it to others, which is precisely what you want. Money doesn’t disintegrate or disappear for having been spent unwisely. It transfers to others who have the opportunity to spend it wisely or unwisely.
I think the point is that time, effort, and resources are being wasted on dogs. Those things do disappear. It’s not really any worse than other forms of conspicuous consumption, but the fact that it’s a dog being pampered helps to highlight the absurdity of it. Obviously Communism is not the solution, but it sure looks a hell of a lot more appealing after reading about this.
Part of having freedom is understanding that others will be free to do things that you do not like, just as you in turn will do things that others do not like or understand.
OTOH, another part of having freedom is that we, the disgusted, are free to voice our objections to other peoples’ use of their freedoms–without necessarily intending to propose that they shouldn’t have those freedoms. That’s where I sit in this whole thing, anyway.
While to me, this is one of the more innocuous ways I can think of for people to spend their money, and no one on this board can afford to have people judge our expenses, I guarantee you that.
Pomeranians? Pomeranians! Nooooo… if we’re going to discriminate how we take care of dogs, there should be a size gradation in there. 40-70 lb dogs get top priority, then larger dogs, then smaller ones, and toys dead last.
It’s really the best of all worlds.
