Does Ms. frame have nothing better to do than to try and ruin a reputable business? She needs to do some real reporting! This is nonsense! I worked at this kennel about 18 years ago and have boarded my " babies" ever since then without hesitation. Go take a look at some other kennels, they are disgusting! This facility is a caring business that genuinely loves animals and is clean. As a pet owner and client I understand that the busy times are just that! So what if my blankets are not used! at least they are given blankets, have a heated facility and are properly cared for as well as safe when I am away! Susannah find a new line of work! Maybe you will find something you are good at.

Crating is okay for a little while, not for hours on end. I would never take my dog to a place that crated more than a few hours. In fact, because she has bad knees, I wouldn't want her in a tight crate at all; it could cause her stiffness and pain. A solitary prison cell may be clean and heated, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy to stay in there for hours on end. As I’ve never taken my dog to that particular kennel (or any other kennel), I can’t comment on them specifically, my comments are just in general.

The majority of dogs love their crates. We have to remember that dogs ARE NOT humans and don't think like we do. That is why most people have trouble with their dogs. They're basically smaller (cuter) versions of wolves. Notice how most dogs, before they lay down, spin around a bit? It's part of their denning instinct and the crate, to them, is their den. Crating, up to 8-12 hours would be similar to us sleeping in our beds. With that you definitely need to give them plenty of running around, however!

Mmm, so they only crate dogs for hours on end when they are busy? Well, if the business has accepted so many dogs that they have to crate most of them for long periods of time, then the business has taken in too many dogs. If they don't have enough room, then either expand or limit the amount of dogs they board.
It's sounds like the owners care more about how much money they can make, and not the dogs welfare. We have never crated our dog, and would be very upset if we found out that, after being told that our dog would be in a large room with her own blankets and toys etc, instead she was crated for the majority of the day. I would call this a fraudulent "transaction". If the owners are saying they may have to crate during busy times, then they are taking on more than their facilities can reasonably handle and are not the sort of people that I would trust my dog with.

Just my opinion.

I've boarded my dog numerous times, although not at this particular kennel. I always make surprise visits and ask to check the facilities. Each and every time I've had no problem inspecting the particular kennel. I also have a friend of mine go to the kennel, while I'm away, and check on my dog. My friend will say they want to take the tour and while doing that they can see my dog without the kennel knowing. There is nothing wrong with crating the dog. But not for extended hours at a time. If they have to crate dogs because of holidays and don't tell the customers, then they have too many dogs to care for and are being deceptive to the owners. At no time should the dogs be crated if they have the big kennels and runs. The only time I can see crating a dog would be for grooming. The owners are not paying for a dog sitting in a crate. I applaude Susanna for doing this story. Maybe that will put other kennel operators on notice that they could be the next facility to be outed on t.v.

I find it horrible that the pet owners' were deceived. People are paying a lot of money to have their beloved pets cared for in a positive & loving environment. If there is not enough room at the kennels to keep the dogs in promised runs/rooms, then they should not be accepting the such a large volume of animals! Most people when going on vacation feel terrible about leaving their pets behind, so the best they feel they can do is to provide a "vacation" for their pet too...this does not include being locked in a cage for hours.

One last thought...if the kennels are not going to use the personal blankets the owners bring, then don't accept them! The kennel company is LYING to the owners that the blankets will be used and are not. Many kennels encourage owners to bring a personal belonging because it has the owners smell on it and this helps comfort the pet while being away from home. If the blankets & toys are being taken away from the pet right away, that's cruel and shows deceitfulness.

I would never bring my beloved furry friends to this kennel after what was reported. THANK YOU Ms. Frame for reporting this important story.

I have used a kennel once before (not the one the story is on). It was great - big runs, lots of tennis balls, a pool, people to play with the dogs, the whole 9 yards. The owner has a set limit and once she reaches it, she doesn't accept any more dogs until one goes home. She knows how many dogs she and her staff can handle and will turn repeat customers away. I would rather have several trusted kennels to turn to if needed, rather than have one that takes on too many dogs. Crating a dog because you don't have enough room to put him in a run (which was paid for by the customer) is a terrible thing to do.

I worked at a kennel in Kitsap County for almost a year. What owners weren't told about what went on was amazing. Very often toys and blankets brougth from home were removed from the kennel the minute the owners pulled out. The animals were never crated but then again the owners were responsible enough not to take on more animals then they could properly house. This is not to say that the care wasn't adequate but as a pet owner it was a real eye opener.

I take my pet to a Kennel in Kitsap County and my dog seems to love the place. The first time I left him there, when I returned to pick him up, the owner chastized me because I let his nails get too long. That is when I KNEW it was the right place to take my dog. I never let his nails get that long again.

This investigation explains a lot about the last time we used a kennel. We had been taking our pets to the same one for years (in Bothell), but this last visit was very upsetting. We brought our shy kitty's favorite blanket so she can have it during her stay. Upon our return, the kennel company couldn't find out blanket at first, then they told it it was being washed with DOG blankets, and they had no explanation why the blanket was even removed from her kitty condo.
My cat was sleeping in an empty cat litter pan because there was no bedding at all in the wooden condo. The other litter box was filthy and there was no clean water available to her.

It was such a drastic change from our other visits there. I demanded our money back & received it without any hassles. Consequently, we will never board our animals again.

I happen to know someone who works for this kennel and alot of the crating issues come from pet owners not showing up to pick up their animals over the holidays when they are scheduled to. Yes they know they can only take on so many dogs but when you are sceduled to pick up your animal and don't, YOU THE CUSTOMER are now causing the kennel to be overloaded. I'm not saying that every place is perfect but I would like to see the whole story explained before a place like this gets a bad rep.

I don't like that this facility alone was singled out, there are much worse facilities out there. Boarding your dog is risky and a business should definately live up to the promises made without deceiving the owners. I personally don't think not giving them the blankets toys etc is that big of a deal, they are hard to keep track of and very easily lost. Then you have an angry owner if something needed to be washed and then was misplaced. Crating is definately okay for dogs - yes even overnight is perfectly normal for a den type animal. As long as they're getting 1 to 2 hours vigorous excercise a day and some people time too that is plenty. Still, if the company is advertising no crates than they shouldn't have them.

We kennel our big dogs frequently. I know at the Kennel we use (not the one in this story) they have a problem with over crowding when others do not pick up their pets when they said they would.
I believe this could be the case with the kennel featured in your story, however, I would be extremely upset if my dogs were crated for a long period of time. The kennel we use was found after looking for quite a while. They encourage us to come at any time or send a friend to check on our pets. Our dogs are very happy to go there and I think that is probably the one thing owners need to watch when they drop their pets off. If the pet has been there before and is terrified to be left, find another kennel. Thank you for your story.

I feel the best place to leave your dog is at home and have a pet sitting service take care of them. This is less stressful on the dog when the owners go away.

It seems this a perfect place for the uneducated to give voice to their opinions. I love the post that says dogs are smaller versions of wolves, then goes on to say crating is okay. Do you know ANYTHING about wolves? They'd go MAD in a crate.Domestication has changed the BRAIN of a dog - it is NOT a wolf. That said, there are dogs who do well when crated - and those that do not. Regardless, it is naive to think that kennels are in the business of making pets happy. They are in the business of making money. Of course, it's good business to make dogs (and clients) happy - thus, most places abide by good boarding practices. However, having worked as a technician for over 25 years in animal-related businesses (and non-profits) I have seen MORE than my share of animals suffering because money is ALWAYS the priority. I've seen it in boarding facilities, I've seen it in pet stores, and most disconcerting, I've seen it in veterinary hospitals. Believe me, I KNOW what I'm talking about.Bottom line - and what many seem to forget- is that people are only human. Like it or not, poor judgment (as well as heroism) is part and parcel of our lives.