Cottages with lounge beds, colour TV and VCRs. Spa packages with massages and pool time. Turkey dinners for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. Soothing music and tasty treats at bedtime.
Limousine pick-up and drop-off service. Sound nice? It's not for you. It's for your pet.
Across the United States, kennels that once may not have been fit for a dog are becoming the cat's meow. "The boarding kennel industry is following what their customers want, and their customers
want more and more individualized attention,'' said Jim Krack, executive director of the American Boarding Kennels Association: "Almost every kennel is adding the one-on-one personalized
services. Today's pet owners tend to view animals as part of their family.''
They see kennels for their pets the same way as day care for their children, Krack said. As a result, successful kennels must not only make sure pets are kept safe but that they are kept happy.
At the Los Angeles Kennel Club, if you want to treat your dog to something special you can choose from one of 14 individual theme cottages with a lounge bed and a colour TV/VCR. The cost is $45 a
day. For $55 a day, your dog gets the VIP suite in the night attendant's apartment.
Interested in extras? Order up a massage ($40 an hour), hot oil treatment ($10) or special agility training ($6 per session). There is also a Yappy Hour ($2 per day), pool time ($6 per session),
kindercare ($6 per day), geriatric care ($6 per day), summer recess ($6 per day), extra play time ($3 per session), picnic in the park ($6 per day) and jamboree ($6 per session). And if you do not
have time to drop your pet off at the Kennel Club, which is next to the Los Angeles International Airport, a limousine will pick him or her up.
Rates vary by distance. And those finicky felines have not been forgotten either. Luxury kitty condos run $20 a day, while the "VIK'' (Very Important Kitty) suite is $30. Kennel managers say it is
not unusual for pet owners to spend more for extras than for basic boarding fees. "They'll get extras because they feel guilty,'' said John Cooney, manager of Club Pet in West Virginia:
"People don't like leaving their dogs with other people.''
Colour TV/VCR à la Carte
Cooney said he has had customers who call from their vacations and ask his staff to give their dog a massage because they just had one. Club Pet's accommodations have orthopedic floors
manufactured by a sports court maker. The luxury suites also have a toddler bed and a colour TV/VCR. The staff makes sure their doggy guests enjoy all the popular dog movies, of course, such as
"Turner & Hooch'' and "All Dogs Go to Heaven.''
Freitag, 05. November 1999