A: Before boarding your pet, we strongly encourage pet owners to take the time to visit any boarding facilities that you might be considering. Don't just visit the office area; insist on seeing the actual kennel area where the pets are boarded. Are the kennels and surrounding areas clean? What kind of disinfectant is used to sanitize the pet accommodations? How often are the dog & cat accommodations cleaned and sanitized? Talk to the owners and staff of the kennel. Do they appear to be knowledgeable?
A few good rules to follow when selecting a kennel:
- Show up to tour the boarding facility unannounced with no appointment. The only rule you must follow is to show up during the kennel's posted business hours. Be very skeptical of any boarding facility that insists that you make a specific appointment or come at specified times to tour. What are they hiding?
- When you arrive to tour, you should be able to go throughout the entire Canine and/or cattery facilities (with escort - no boarding facility should allow you to walk through their facilities without an escort). You will be surprised to find that many boarding facilities will not allow you to actually go throughout the boarding facility. They may take you to a window for viewing the kennel area instead. You may be told that their insurance does not allow a customer to walk through the kennel area, or some State agency forbids a customer to go beyond a certain point. You may even be told that touring the facility disturbs the boarding guests. This is of course all nonsense, and a good reason to be skeptical.
- On your tour, take a good look at the staff that work at the boarding facility. Remember that a boarding facility is only as good as the people that are working there. Do they have mature, trained, friendly, responsible animal caretakers? It makes a huge difference in the kind of care your pet will receive!
Let's Talk About Boarding Your Dog
Let's Talk About Boarding Your Cat
A: We absolutely encourage you to take a tour and inspect our facilities! We make every effort to provide a first-class boarding experience by keeping our guests happy in a highly sanitary environment with a stellar staff. We maintain very high standards at Winding Creek and would love to show you what we have to offer. Anytime during our business hours you are welcome to stop by, no appointment needed and you will be escorted by a member of our staff all around our facility. We only ask that you do not touch any of our guests (no matter how cute they are!) and that small children be carried through / hold their little hands for safety! We want you to feel comfortable and safe choosing Winding Creek for you pets next vacation, so please come out to meet us and ask all the questions you have!
A: This is one of the many things that separates us from other facilities that board pets. Our posted business hours are only for the business office (handling calls, check-ins & check-outs, etc) - on days that our office is closed, we still have a full staff caring for all of our boarding guests. We have three separate caretaker residences on the property, all of which are for full time staff members responsible for night time duties. An additional residence belongs to the owners, who also live on the premises.
We have staff on the property tending to our canine & feline guests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If we have a major storm in the middle of the night with thunder & lightning, we actually have a staff member in the kennel with our guests to ensure that everyone is fine. On any given holiday or weekend, you will find our kennel fully staffed.
We have staff on the property tending to our canine & feline guests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If we have a major storm in the middle of the night with thunder & lightning, we actually have a staff member in the kennel with our guests to ensure that everyone is fine. On any given holiday or weekend, you will find our kennel fully staffed.
A: No, we DO NOT put pets that are not from the same family together. Your dog (or cat) will have its own run (or condo) and will never be mixed with any other dogs (or cats). Even when we take dogs out for Play Times or Nature Walks, we never mix dogs from different families.
There are many facilities that promote group play times and frequently blend many dogs together in a large play area. We think the practice of blending dogs (or cats) from different families can be dangerous, and potentially harmful to the pets and staff. We prefer to provide all of our guests with as much human contact as possible -- touching, petting, fetch, belly rubs, giving treats, etc. Our guests do have the opportunity to be social both in the kennel and out in our play areas, as they can see and smell other dogs, but they will never come into physical contact with a pet from another family.
There are many facilities that promote group play times and frequently blend many dogs together in a large play area. We think the practice of blending dogs (or cats) from different families can be dangerous, and potentially harmful to the pets and staff. We prefer to provide all of our guests with as much human contact as possible -- touching, petting, fetch, belly rubs, giving treats, etc. Our guests do have the opportunity to be social both in the kennel and out in our play areas, as they can see and smell other dogs, but they will never come into physical contact with a pet from another family.
A: Yes! Both our dog and cat facilities are spacious enough to accommodate multiple pets from the same family. As long as your dogs or cats get along well together, they can absolutely share the same run or condo! Our dog and cat boarders are kept separate from each other – our cattery facility is located in the back of our front office, totally separated from the kennel buildings.
For our Dog boarders we offer very large indoor / outdoor type runs that come in two different sizes -- the Standard run at 88 square feet and the King run at 132 square feet. We will select the run best suited for your dogs based on their sizes, breeds and how many dogs you have sharing together. Most two dog families share well together in the Standard size run, and 3 - 4 small and toy size pets can board comfortably in the Standard size run together. The King size run is ideal for 3+ medium to large dogs and giant breeds like Great Danes!
For our Cat boarders if they are of average size and get along well together, they can easily stay together in the same large, three-level cat condo. Our cat condos can comfortably house up to two average sized cats, but not three. If you have a large cat (such as a Maine Coon), your cat would more than likely need to have the entire condo to itself.
We do offer price discounts for multiple pet families that share the same space together. We only allow pets to board together if the owner assures us that they blend well. If we see any aggressive fighting between family members, we will not hesitate to separate them at our discretion.
If your pets get along well together at all times, with the exception of during feeding times -- we do have the ability to board them together, but feed them separately. If this is an issue with your pets, simply let our staff know and we will separate them during feedings, the staff will allow each pet time to eat and then remove their bowls from their run before allowing them back together to prevent any issues from arising.
For our Dog boarders we offer very large indoor / outdoor type runs that come in two different sizes -- the Standard run at 88 square feet and the King run at 132 square feet. We will select the run best suited for your dogs based on their sizes, breeds and how many dogs you have sharing together. Most two dog families share well together in the Standard size run, and 3 - 4 small and toy size pets can board comfortably in the Standard size run together. The King size run is ideal for 3+ medium to large dogs and giant breeds like Great Danes!
For our Cat boarders if they are of average size and get along well together, they can easily stay together in the same large, three-level cat condo. Our cat condos can comfortably house up to two average sized cats, but not three. If you have a large cat (such as a Maine Coon), your cat would more than likely need to have the entire condo to itself.
We do offer price discounts for multiple pet families that share the same space together. We only allow pets to board together if the owner assures us that they blend well. If we see any aggressive fighting between family members, we will not hesitate to separate them at our discretion.
If your pets get along well together at all times, with the exception of during feeding times -- we do have the ability to board them together, but feed them separately. If this is an issue with your pets, simply let our staff know and we will separate them during feedings, the staff will allow each pet time to eat and then remove their bowls from their run before allowing them back together to prevent any issues from arising.
A: We have several excellent veterinarians in very close proximity to our facility, along with two emergency facilities that are open all night and on holidays. We treat every guest as we would our own children and will assure them the best attention available.
Our staff members are well trained in First Aid and pet CPR techniques, as well as emergency procedures and are well attuned at identifying abnormal behaviors and signs of distress. If we think your pet needs to see a veterinarian, we will arrange to take him or her immediately for medical attention day or night.
Our staff members are well trained in First Aid and pet CPR techniques, as well as emergency procedures and are well attuned at identifying abnormal behaviors and signs of distress. If we think your pet needs to see a veterinarian, we will arrange to take him or her immediately for medical attention day or night.
A: Yes, we have forced air heating systems for the winter and exceptional amounts of air conditioning for the hot summer months. Your pets will stay very comfortable no matter what the outside temperature or weather happens to be when they are staying at Winding Creek.
Air exchange is also very important when boarding pets from different households. We use large ceiling paddle fans and several large power exhaust fans to exchange the air in the kennel and constantly pump in fresh country air.
Air exchange is also very important when boarding pets from different households. We use large ceiling paddle fans and several large power exhaust fans to exchange the air in the kennel and constantly pump in fresh country air.
A: We have a staff of well trained professional animal caretakers that can handle all of your pet’s special needs! Guests with seizures, arthritis, previous surgeries, thyroid problems, controlled diabetes, or blindness are all welcome and our staff has the experience to take care of these needs and ensure the best stay possible. We take medications very seriously and will discuss their regiment in detail with you at check in to ensure accuracy. We do require medications to be in the original prescription container and always want more than enough to last throughout your pets stay and beyond in the event your return is delayed for any reason.
We can administer injections (insulin, allergy, anti-inflammatory, etc.) and can perform infusions on site. We do require that all medications and equipment needed be provided by the owner. We are also well suited to taking care of post-surgical pets as well so don’t hesitate to call about your pet’s special needs.
If your pet is not stable or has acute medical issues, and we feel that they are beyond the scope of what our care could provide, we would suggest that you choose a veterinarian's care rather than staying at our facility.
We can administer injections (insulin, allergy, anti-inflammatory, etc.) and can perform infusions on site. We do require that all medications and equipment needed be provided by the owner. We are also well suited to taking care of post-surgical pets as well so don’t hesitate to call about your pet’s special needs.
If your pet is not stable or has acute medical issues, and we feel that they are beyond the scope of what our care could provide, we would suggest that you choose a veterinarian's care rather than staying at our facility.
A: That is up to you! We provide our own in-house food -- Diamond Naturals All Life Stages Chicken and Rice formula, which is very high quality dry food. The majority of our boarders love our house food and switch back and forth from our food to their normal diet at home with ease. We have fully stocked kitchens to provide everything necessary for your pet's diet including the stainless steel food and water bowls.
You are more than welcome to bring in your own food from home, especially if your dog or cat is on a strict veterinarian prescribed diet, has any food allergies, or has a history of a sensitive stomach. For specific instructions on bringing your own food from home, you can find it under our Policies page.
If your pet does not eat well in our care, we do keep many additional food choices on hand to add into their meals to entice them to eat if needed. We like to offer fresh food morning and night and we chart eating habits on each guest to keep an accurate record of how well they are eating.
It is imperative that you share with us any food allergies or limitations your pet has in the event that they are not eating well. This applies to pets that are eating our in-house food as well as food provided from home.
You are more than welcome to bring in your own food from home, especially if your dog or cat is on a strict veterinarian prescribed diet, has any food allergies, or has a history of a sensitive stomach. For specific instructions on bringing your own food from home, you can find it under our Policies page.
If your pet does not eat well in our care, we do keep many additional food choices on hand to add into their meals to entice them to eat if needed. We like to offer fresh food morning and night and we chart eating habits on each guest to keep an accurate record of how well they are eating.
It is imperative that you share with us any food allergies or limitations your pet has in the event that they are not eating well. This applies to pets that are eating our in-house food as well as food provided from home.
A: For sanitation purposes, we do not allow any of your pet's own bedding, blankets or pillows into our facility. In the indoor area of our canine runs, we do put down a raised platform kennel decking which is designed to keep our guests off the cement floor and on top of that, we put down our own very comfortable, machine-washable, soft bedding.
For our older guests that are having arthritis issues – we double up the padding in their runs using large, quilted blankets, so they are kept very comfortable while boarding.
For cats, we also use the machine-washable, soft bedding, and we provide fleece hammocks for them to lie in.
If you want your pet to have something familiar while boarding - you can bring a few of their favorite toys from home with your scent on it, but please do not bring any articles of clothing.
For our older guests that are having arthritis issues – we double up the padding in their runs using large, quilted blankets, so they are kept very comfortable while boarding.
For cats, we also use the machine-washable, soft bedding, and we provide fleece hammocks for them to lie in.
If you want your pet to have something familiar while boarding - you can bring a few of their favorite toys from home with your scent on it, but please do not bring any articles of clothing.
A: Yes, we encourage you to bring toys and treats for your pet. Please use some discretion in selecting toys that your pet will not chew or shred into small pieces. Many guests choose to bring in kongs, nylabones and tennis balls to keep them busy. Our office also has a small selection of toys available for purchase if your pet needs something new!
A: First and foremost, when we have a bad storm with thunder & lightning, we believe it is important to have a staff member out in the kennel with the dogs. This is one of the reasons that Winding Creek has caretaker residences on the property. We always have staff on site who will go out to the kennel buildings during storms, no matter the time of day or night. We always have music playing in the kennels all night long, but during storms, we crank up the volume to help hide the sound of the thunder from outside. In addition, we turn on all the inside lights, we close down all the dog doors so the dog is safely protected inside, and finally we rotate to all the dogs that appear to be nervous due to the storms.
When you first register to board your dog with us at Winding Creek, we ask that you fill out a Pet Information Form, one of the questions on this form is regarding storm fright. If we know we have a dog that is prone to storm fright, we tag the kennel card with a black cloud type sticker that helps us identify the dog during a storm. The staff member can simply walk through the kennel building looking for storm fright stickers. If your dog has extremely severe storm fright, and will do physical harm to himself, we recommend that you consult with your veterinarian to prescribe a tranquilizer that will help your dog get through the storm. We administer the medication only as needed should we have a severe storm.
When you first register to board your dog with us at Winding Creek, we ask that you fill out a Pet Information Form, one of the questions on this form is regarding storm fright. If we know we have a dog that is prone to storm fright, we tag the kennel card with a black cloud type sticker that helps us identify the dog during a storm. The staff member can simply walk through the kennel building looking for storm fright stickers. If your dog has extremely severe storm fright, and will do physical harm to himself, we recommend that you consult with your veterinarian to prescribe a tranquilizer that will help your dog get through the storm. We administer the medication only as needed should we have a severe storm.
A: First, it is very important that you tell us about your dog's tendencies to jump or climb. When you first register to board your dog with us at Winding Creek, we ask that you fill out a Pet Information Form, on this form you can tell us all about your pet’s behaviors! If we know we have an escape artist, we can take extra precautions to be sure they are safe and well supervised when doing off leash activities outside of their run. We do have a specialized play area for climbers, but if you prefer not to allow your pet off lead to exercise, we can leash walk your pet instead with a staff member where they’ll be under constant watch.
Our indoor / outdoor runs are very safe and it is incredibly unlikely that your pet will escape when inside its run. Over our 30+ years in business we have perfected our run setup and we have multiple levels of security in the run and across the facility which make it impossible to escape. Details of our level of security below:
Our indoor / outdoor runs are very safe and it is incredibly unlikely that your pet will escape when inside its run. Over our 30+ years in business we have perfected our run setup and we have multiple levels of security in the run and across the facility which make it impossible to escape. Details of our level of security below:
- The gates to the indoor / outdoor runs are always clipped so the gate’s latch cannot be opened without first removing the clip.
- Our runs (both inside & outside) are fully covered with chain link extending all the way up to the ceiling. Even if your dog is a climber, they will have no means of escape.
- We have multiple levels of fenced in areas within our 36 acre site - a pet that manages to escape a fenced in area, will only find itself in a larger fenced in area.
- Our staff are professional animal caretakers - our job is to take the best possible care of your pet while you are away, our staff will do anything and everything necessary to ensure that your pet is safe and happy while boarding.
A: Unlike many kennels that use only chain link to separate the runs from each other, Winding Creek uses solid cement to separate our runs. The inside runs are separated with 6 ft. tall solid cement walls, so from the dog's perspective, they have no neighbors on either side. This makes the inside area a very safe & secure area. In addition, for our smaller guests, we include a bedroom enclosure filled with lambs wool type bedding. Our outside runs are also separated by several feet of cement wall, then we use heavy gauge chain link from the top of this wall up to the outside ceiling. We provide the cement wall separation for several reasons; first, it protects the runs from any cross contamination of urine or fecal from run to run, secondly, it helps prevent any fence fighting or aggressive behavior between runs. It allows a smaller dog the opportunity to go in and out without being intimidated by a much larger neighboring dog.
A: This is something our staff monitors for every guest, on every visit. Most of our guests have no issue using the outside part of their runs to potty when needed, but there are a small percentage of dogs that do not. We check each run prior to cleaning them, multiple times each day. Our staff make notes on any of our guests who are not going potty in their runs. After a period of time, if we see no evidence of urine or fecal from your pet, we will begin rotating your pet outside to a play area three times a day to go potty (we call this NoPo rotation). If your dog does not go potty in his or her run (becomes what we call a NoPo), you will be advised upon check-out and on future visits there would be a small fee for this service.
A: Although we make every effort to bond with the guests in our care there are pets who are dedicated to their owners & families and are not interested in becoming friends with anyone else. Similarly, highly trained guard dogs and military / police K-9s should not bond with anyone else. We have the ability to care for these types of pets without having to physically interact with them unless they choose to. We can still care for their needs and offer them a stimulating environment without forcing them to be social or touched when they do not wish for that attention. If you have a pet that is not friendly or has a bite history, we do ask that that be disclosed to us in your pet information page, but it does not mean that we cannot board your pet comfortably while you are away.
A: Our facility is unique because we focus so much on human interaction when your dog is in our care. With our spacious boarding runs, they can see all the activity going on around them inside the kennels – watching staff cleaning, walking, watering, etc. as well as on the outside part of the runs where they can see customers come and go from the parking lot, the horses in our pasture lands and our neighboring cows! We love to talk to all of our guests as we walk by, and if one of the dogs hasn’t adjusted, we will stop and sit with them and give them extra TLC & treats. We want their stay to be enjoyable — this is their vacation too!
Our boarding environment is very stimulating for active pups but it can also be a relaxing environment for less active or older dogs who just want to be loved on and chill out in their private runs. It is not uncommon for pets to sleep more than normal after their vacation at Winding Creek.
The additional activities that we offer are not required, but many people love to add on things to make their pets stay extra special. You can customize exactly what you want your pet to do based on whatever you think they would enjoy the most! We offer off-leash play, leashed walks, vigorous exercise with tennis balls / frisbees, brushing sessions, homemade treats and classic extra TLC!
Our boarding environment is very stimulating for active pups but it can also be a relaxing environment for less active or older dogs who just want to be loved on and chill out in their private runs. It is not uncommon for pets to sleep more than normal after their vacation at Winding Creek.
The additional activities that we offer are not required, but many people love to add on things to make their pets stay extra special. You can customize exactly what you want your pet to do based on whatever you think they would enjoy the most! We offer off-leash play, leashed walks, vigorous exercise with tennis balls / frisbees, brushing sessions, homemade treats and classic extra TLC!
A: Instead of a minimum age requirement, we are more concerned with how far along your pet is in its vaccination series. Our minimum vaccine requirements for Puppies require at least 2, preferably 3, DHPP boosters and a Bordetella vaccine. For Kittens, we require at least 2 FVRCP boosters to stay in our cattery area.
For puppies and kittens with incomplete vaccine records – we do not allow them into common areas where other adult dogs have been like our play areas and walking trails. We will do in-run activities only for the super young ones to keep their exposure to a minimum.
For puppies and kittens with incomplete vaccine records – we do not allow them into common areas where other adult dogs have been like our play areas and walking trails. We will do in-run activities only for the super young ones to keep their exposure to a minimum.
A: Yes, we do offer a Pet Taxi service. Simply call us well ahead of time to get on our Pet Taxi schedule. Pricing is based on your location. We do not, however, pick up or drop off early in the morning or late in the afternoon. On Saturdays, we pick up & deliver in the afternoon only (never before noon).
On Sundays and on or around major holidays, we do not offer a pet taxi service.
Pricing for our taxi service is based on your distance from our location, not per pet being taxied.
On Sundays and on or around major holidays, we do not offer a pet taxi service.
Pricing for our taxi service is based on your distance from our location, not per pet being taxied.
A: Bordetella has many names – known medically as infectious tracheobronchitis, but it's most commonly referred to as “kennel cough". Bordetella is an airborne virus that is at its most contagious when you have grouping of dogs from multiple households getting close contact frequently, like in doggie daycares and dogs parks. Due to its airborne nature – the cleanliness of a facility is not a factor in containing the spread of Bordetella. Air exchange and ventilation is a huge factor which is something that we at Winding Creek are very conscious of and have built a facility that excels in giving our guests fresh, clean air.
All of our Heating / Cooling systems now have a Germicidal / Oxidizing Ultraviolet Air Purifying System to disinfect the air. This system is designed to kill and sterilize airborne viruses, bacteria and germs as they pass through our Heating / Cooling systems. We also require all pets that enter Winding Creek’s premises to be vaccinated for Bordetella annually. However, being vaccinated does not offer 100% protection in the case of Bordetella – although it is highly effective in most dogs, in others, they can still get the infection. If your pet does get Bordetella, having had the vaccination will likely lessen the severity of symptoms and length of infection because their immune system will offer some protection.
A dog with Bordetella is described as having a harsh, hacking type cough, nasal discharge and general tiredness / lethargy. It's very similar to a chest cold in humans and is only typically serious in special circumstances like in very senior or immune compromised pets, and in very young puppies.
Bordetella typically resolves on its own in most cases without medical intervention. Because it is viral – antibiotics do not treat Bordetella – the usual course of treatment is general supportive therapy for the cough symptoms and tiredness.
All of our Heating / Cooling systems now have a Germicidal / Oxidizing Ultraviolet Air Purifying System to disinfect the air. This system is designed to kill and sterilize airborne viruses, bacteria and germs as they pass through our Heating / Cooling systems. We also require all pets that enter Winding Creek’s premises to be vaccinated for Bordetella annually. However, being vaccinated does not offer 100% protection in the case of Bordetella – although it is highly effective in most dogs, in others, they can still get the infection. If your pet does get Bordetella, having had the vaccination will likely lessen the severity of symptoms and length of infection because their immune system will offer some protection.
A dog with Bordetella is described as having a harsh, hacking type cough, nasal discharge and general tiredness / lethargy. It's very similar to a chest cold in humans and is only typically serious in special circumstances like in very senior or immune compromised pets, and in very young puppies.
Bordetella typically resolves on its own in most cases without medical intervention. Because it is viral – antibiotics do not treat Bordetella – the usual course of treatment is general supportive therapy for the cough symptoms and tiredness.
A: (1) The most important item would be proof of current vaccinations from a licensed veterinarian. We always recommend that you have your pet's vaccination records faxed to us in advance of your check-in date so that our staff can ensure that your pet is current and set to board. We do not accept check off type health booklets or vaccines administered by owner. If we cannot confirm that your pet is current on the vaccinations that we require, we will not allow your pet to enter our boarding facilities.
(2) The next most important item would be your itinerary with phone numbers. We want to be able to reach you should we have a question concerning the care of your pet. It doesn't matter where your destination will be, if you are near a phone, we want the number! A hotel phone number, cell phone or other land-line number is fine.
If you are going on a cruise, we need the name of the cruise line, the ship name, the 1-800 ship-to-shore number, and the state room number.
As a last resort we will take the number of a family member or friend, but our preference is to be able to reach you directly.
(3) Your dog must be on a leash and under your control at all times upon arriving on our grounds, so be sure to bring a leash and collar. Cats should be safely tucked away in a carrier of some sort. Remember, you are always welcome to bring your pet’s toys and treats – but do not bring any bedding, articles of clothing or food bowls. If you choose to bring your pet’s food from home – bring it in a hard plastic sealable container and to always pack more food then needed for the length of your pets stay. If your pet takes any medications / supplements, be sure to bring us the original bottle with the dosage information on it, and advise us if the bottle directions have changed.
(4) Finally, if you have never boarded with us before, you will need to fill out the following pages: New Customer Information and New Pet Information. (If you have boarded with us before within the last 2 years, but have a new pet, you will only need to fill out the New Pet Information form). You can fill these forms out electronically and submit them online. You can always find these forms on our website by hovering your mouse over 'Policies' at the very top of our website. Just fill in the forms online and at the bottom there is a button that says 'Click Here to Submit Forms' and the completed forms will come directly to us. There is also a link to these forms in the confirmation email that we send to you after booking a reservation with us.
Always feel free to give our office a call if you have any questions!
A: Yes, your pets will definitely be safe and comfortable if the power should go out. At Winding Creek, we have permanently installed Automatic Emergency Generators that deliver the power directly to our kennel electrical system, backing up the entire kennel operation. The system is designed to turn on automatically and will continue to produce the power needed for several weeks or more if it should ever be necessary.
A: At Winding Creek, all of our Heating / Cooling systems now have a Germicidal / Oxidizing Ultraviolet Air Purifying System to disinfect the air. This system is designed to kill and sterilize airborne viruses, bacteria and germs as they pass through our Heating / Cooling systems. This system is not going to 100% remove everything but it does lower the chances of air borne viruses / bacteria from spreading.
