text: As a pet owner, we know your travel plans always include special arrangements for your furry friend. Sometimes it can be hard to have someone else care for your pets, especially with so many different types of boarding and pet sitting services out there. For newer pet owners, understanding the difference between pet boarding and pet sitting is crucial for both your peace of mind and theirs.
  When you leave your pet, the goal is always to ensure they’re cared for and comfortable while you’re away, which will help you worry less so you can focus on your travel. Even though every animal handles being away from their owner differently, understanding the pros and cons to boarding and pet sitting will help you make the purrrfect choice for your four-legged friend.
  A pet boarding service can be compared to pet hotels. These types of facilities are designed for longer overnight stays that span multiple days and are staffed by animal-obsessed professionals who have experience caring for all breeds and temperaments of dogs and cats. From a traditional boarding kennel to a fancy pet resort, the options are endless — but aren’t necessarily best for every pet.
  If your pet loves being around other animals and people, they will thrive at a dog boarding facility. Even if your dog prefers to be alone or has separation anxiety, staying at a boarding facility allows them to socialize and maintain the contact they need with others to relax. Good boarding facilities have free-range, open spaces or dedicated rooms for playtime, as well as qualified staff who are certified to handle the unique needs of each pet. If you don’t have any family or friends available to watch your furry friend, boarding also keeps you from having a stranger coming in and out of your house while you’re not there.
  Some pet boarding facilities even offer veterinarian care, including the monitoring of food and medications. At Priority Boarding & Daycare, we are proud to be a veterinarian-owned and trained facility that truly understands how to provide the best care for pets. This not only benefits your furry best friend, but puts you at ease knowing your baby is in the hands of trained medical professionals.
  Despite all the positives, pet boarding can be expensive and end up costing you more than pet sitting services. Most pet boarding facilities also require you to travel to their location to drop off your pet, adding another task to your to-do lists when departing and arriving back home. Boarding facilities can also be extremely stressful for animals if they are not operated correctly. Lower quality pet boarding and pet daycare businesses also increase the risk of your pet catching an illness or getting injured from altercations with other boarders.
  It is important to check what immunizations, if any, are required by boarding facilities before you book. The last thing you need is to scramble to find a different place for your pet to stay. We highly recommend ensuring your furry friend has an up-to-date flu vaccine to reduce the likelihood of contracting canine influenza or other viruses that are common in kennels. To ensure the health and safety of your pet, you should book with facilities that require an influenza vaccination at minimum.
  Priority Boarding & Daycare was designed with these common problems in mind, which is why we’re proud to have a low-stress environment that is cleaned with advanced sani-clean technology to prevent common kennel illnesses and 24/7 access so you can pick up or drop off your pet any time of day — even on weekends.
  If pet boarding isn’t for you, you can hire a pet sitter and turn your home into your four-legged friend’s own personal pet hotel. Whether you choose to hire a professional or rely on help from family and friends, some pets really benefit from staying at home. Usually, pet sitting is an overall cheaper alternative to full boarding services and can also be less stressful for pets that prefer to be in familiar surroundings. Plus, you don’t have to drive your pet anywhere!
  Another benefit of pet sitting that is often overlooked is the luxury of having someone caring for your home. From watering plants to bringing the mail inside, your home will look lived in and deter potential intruders from breaking into a home that seems vacant.
  Despite all the pros, pet sitting only works if you truly trust the person you hired. We understand how much your furry best friends means to you and it can be hard to leave them with someone you don’t fully know or trust. Therefore, it’s crucial to do your homework and research all the available options to ensure you’re leaving your pet in the best hands possible.
  If you travel during busy seasons or over holidays, booking a pet sitter can be difficult. You need to be prepared to hire someone way in advance to prevent last minute, frantic searching. If you do plan to leave your pet with a stranger, they might not do well with a new face in the home and get more stressed. Dogs and cats also get lonely when left by themselves for long periods of time. If your pet sitter is busy or has another job on top of sitting, your pet could be left alone for hours and get increasingly stressed. We also highly recommend microchipping your pet and leave them wearing a collar just in case of an accidental escape, which is more likely to happen with dog sitting than boarding.
  Choosing Between Pet Boarding and Pet Sitting
  No matter which method of care you choose, be sure to research all your available options to ensure your pet is left in loving care. It’s incredibly important that both your mind and theirs are at ease while you travel. If you choose to board your pet, book them a luxurious stay with Priority Boarding & Daycare! With a highly trained staff, world-class sanitization and safety measures and customizable additions, you can have peace of mind your pet will enjoy the five-star vacation experience they deserve. Located just minutes away from the Indianapolis International Airport, our veterinarian-owned facility make the boarding experience as easy as possible so you can focus on getting to your destination. Reservations are filling quickly, so book with us now before our spots fill up!