How to Start a Dog Boarding Service
Starting a dog boarding service will require quite a bit of research and money for overhead. If you research this and do it right you can help families that need to find a safe place for their pet while they vacation. It can be a profitable business as well.
A dog boarding service will provide basic services and housing for pet owners when they can't take their pets with them. There are quite a few restrictions surrounding these types of businesses, so you need to do adequate research to be sure you're doing everything correctly.
- Research your local laws regarding pets and pet businesses. Most cities now require a license to operate a boarding facility. Your license will determine how many animals you can have at any time, and this is based on the size of the facility and the facilities you have available.
- Prepare to invest in construction to build an adequate facility once you know what the licensing requirements are. You'll need individual kennel spaces, an outdoor area for the pets to run and play and indoor areas for a lobby and playrooms.
- Work with local vets to set up contingency plans. This way you'll have vets on call 24 hours a day in case of an emergency. Many animal hospitals will contract with boarding facilities to provide care for emergencies.
- Research various aspects of boarding dogs. You want to be as knowledgeable as possible when it comes to handling different breeds, dealing with common issues like seperation anxiety and depression and first aid for dogs. You can take courses in training and grooming as well to expand your knowledge and potential services.
- Set up accounts with different pet product suppliers. You'll want to have food, pet safe kennel spray and leashes available at all times. Stock up on cleaning supplies that are safe for kennel use as well.
- Hire staff and set up the lobby and office area. You want to invest in computers and a good system to track schedules and keep information on the dogs and customers.