Operations & Management
The day-to-day systems, safety protocols, and client communication practices that separate professional boarding facilities from the rest.
Capacity planning starts with your physical space. A standard indoor kennel run for a medium-sized dog should be at least 4 feet wide by 6 feet deep, with an attached outdoor relief area of similar size if possible. Larger breeds need proportionally more space — a 100 lb dog in a run designed for a 30 lb dog is not a safe or comfortable situation.
Calculate your usable capacity conservatively: if you have 20 runs, plan operations for 80–85% occupancy. The remaining margin accommodates dogs that need isolation for behavioral or health reasons, and prevents the logistical strain that comes with a 100% full facility. Overbooked kennels cut corners on care — usually on bathroom breaks and individual attention, exactly where clients expect the most.
Capacity formula: Total runs × 0.85 = safe operating capacity. Build your holiday pricing and waitlist strategy around this number, not your theoretical maximum.
Vaccination requirements are one of the most important policies your kennel establishes, and one of the hardest to enforce consistently without a system. The minimum standard:
Require proof from a licensed veterinarian — not a self-reported date from the owner. Store digital copies in the pet's profile so staff can verify at check-in without calling owners. Expired vaccines are one of the most common sources of kennel cough outbreaks; a software system that flags expiring records before the next stay prevents this entirely.
A consistent daily routine is the foundation of a safe, low-stress boarding environment. Dogs thrive on predictable schedules. Staff do too — a clear routine reduces errors, speeds up handoffs, and makes it easier to notice when something is off with a particular dog.
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | Staff arrive, kennel walk-through | Check all dogs, note any concerns |
| 7:00 AM | Morning bathroom breaks (round 1) | One dog at a time — ZERO mixing |
| 7:30 AM | Morning feeding | Per individual feeding instructions on file |
| 8:00 AM | Photo updates sent to owners | Candid, natural — not posed |
| 9:30 AM | Mid-morning bathroom breaks (round 2) | Individual rotation |
| 11:00 AM | Kennel cleaning, bedding check | Spot-clean as needed; full clean at checkout |
| 12:30 PM | Midday bathroom breaks (round 3) | Individual rotation |
| 1:00 PM | Midday check-ins, medications if applicable | Log all administered medications |
| 3:30 PM | Afternoon bathroom breaks (round 4) | Individual rotation |
| 5:30 PM | Evening feeding | Per individual instructions |
| 6:00 PM | Evening photo update sent to owners | After dinner, relaxed moment |
| 7:30 PM | Final bathroom breaks (round 5) | Individual rotation |
| 8:00 PM | Lights out / kennel secured | Last staff check-through |
The one-at-a-time rule for bathroom breaks is not just best practice — it is the single most effective way to prevent incidents. Group breaks create unpredictable social dynamics that even well-trained staff cannot always anticipate. Run individual. Every time.
Boarding pricing typically uses a tiered model based on run size/type and add-ons. A simple, defensible tier structure:
Holiday surcharges of $10–$20/night during Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, and Spring Break are standard and expected. Market to your clients well in advance with clear deadlines — early booking during peak periods is a revenue and operations win. Long-stay discounts (10% off stays of 7+ nights) help fill mid-week gaps during slower periods.
The check-in process sets the tone for the entire stay. Do it right and the client leaves feeling confident their dog is in good hands. Do it poorly and you spend the next three days fielding anxiety calls.
Collect your intake information at booking, not at drop-off. Drop-off should take 5 minutes — a brief verbal confirmation of notes on file, a quick physical check of the dog, and handing off the belongings. Use a standardized intake form that covers: feeding schedule and food brought, medications (name, dose, timing), behavioral notes, emergency contacts, authorized pickup persons, and veterinary authorization for emergency care.
Check-out is the upsell moment. An exit bath — offered the morning of checkout at a discounted rate — sends the dog home clean and smelling good, which is the impression the owner carries until the next booking. It also adds $20–$40 in revenue per stay.
Anxiety about leaving a pet at a kennel is real and nearly universal among first-time boarding clients.
The two-touch daily pattern works reliably: a morning photo around 8 AM ("Buddy had a great breakfast and is enjoying the morning sun") and an evening check-in around 6 PM ("All settled in after a big dinner — sleeping like a champ"). These messages take 90 seconds each and generate extraordinary goodwill. Clients who get regular photo updates during boarding return at significantly higher rates than those who do not.
Emergency protocols need to exist in writing, be reviewed with every new staff member, and be posted in the kennel area. At minimum your emergency protocol should include:
A well-run boarding operation has more moving pieces than almost any other pet care business: occupancy tracking, vaccine expiration dates, feeding and medication schedules, photo update workflows, invoicing at checkout, and deposit management. Spreadsheets and paper logs work until they break — usually at 80% capacity on a holiday weekend.
Animal Friends OS includes a live kennel grid, digital pet profiles with vaccine tracking, automated pre-boarding confirmation SMS, a photo-update messaging workflow, and one-click checkout invoicing. Built by an operator who runs a multi-service boarding facility — the features reflect real operational problems, not theoretical ones.
Scheduling, boarding grid, photo updates, SMS, invoicing — all in one platform, from $69/month.
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