SINCE 1933

BOARDING FAQ

THE BEST PET CARE

frequently asked questions 

EASDALE STAFF HAVE KNOWLEDGE AND CARE DEVELOPED FROM MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL CANINE INVOLVEMENT.

  • Q: How do I choose a good boarding facility?

    A: First, visit websites, ask pet owning friends, and then visit any facility you are considering. Ask where your pet will sleep and exercise. Easdale is recommended by many of the Akron area vets. Also, check out the Better Business Bureau of Akron where we are A+ rated since 2014! Surf the web and read testimonials and reviews here and on other sites.  See our blog for more info on why you should choose Easdale!

  • Q: Do you live onsite?

    A: Yes. Our home is located on the property. One of our buildings is an addition to our home and we do check on the guests at night. Living onsite does not mean we are staffed 24/7 for pick up or drop off. (We run errands during our off hours too.) It does mean your pet will receive care and attention even if the office is closed. If there is a power outage, storm or other event, we are here to take appropriate action to keep your pet safe.

  • Q: What kind of training does your staff receive?

    A: We have decades of experience in animal and pet care. We carefully select our techs to hire based on career goals to stay involved in pet or animal care careers, compassion, professionalism and ethics. Each starting employee is partnered and mentored by an experienced pet care technician. Written checklists and operations guides are used to teach the details of our various services.

  • Q: If I am a comparison shopper checking prices, are you the place for me?

    A: Well, yes and no. If you are looking for the best value for quality pet care for your dog, the answer is YES we are the most for the money in Akron pet care. If you compare our standard of care, we are a bargain. If you are just shopping price for the least expensive kennel, where your dog will stay in a small cage, on wet floors, never outside, alone at night, cared for by teenagers who have no special training or interest in pet care, then the answer is definitely NO, we are not the cheapest place you will find.

  • Q: I am going out of town for two months. Are you able to watch my dog for that length of time?

    A: Absolutely! We have had guests for several months. Our enriched environment with natural views of woods and meadow, individual attention, and grooming services more closely approximates a home environment. We offer a monthly discount rate of 15% off if a 50% deposit is made at the time of check in. For more than one month, each month must be prepaid before it starts. Just to help out, we define a month as any stay that is 20 days or longer. Any unused balances will be refunded if the day of check out is earlier than planned.

  • Q: My two dogs are used to sleeping together at home. Can they board together?

    A: Sure, we have indoor areas that are large enough to comfortably fit multiple dogs (depending on their size, of course). Our monthly discount rate may be useful because we count each dog for the total number of days, for example: 2 dogs for 10 days is 20 days, 3 dogs for 7 days is 21 days, and so on. Please note: If you have requested that the two dogs sleep in the same area, you accept full responsibility for anything that happens between the two dogs. If we sense there is a potential issue, we reserve the right to place the two dogs in separate rooms. Safety is always our primary concern.

  • Q: Describe the daily schedule my pet will have:

    A: We start early at Easdale with 6:30 exercise periods to go potty, then eat breakfast.  Naturally, we follow your instructions if they are different from our regular routine. After breakfast dishes are collected, runs are cleaned, and water is refreshed, we start our office hours, bathing, and special activities such as Trail Walks, One on Ones, the Ball Park, Poolside, and Paw Paint Art Classes. Our guests have free access to individual exercise areas overlooking meadow and woods during the summer and are let out every 2-3 hours during colder weather to keep warm inside. All buildings are heated in cold weather with natural gas heat. After closing, we will start evening feeding, refresh waters, and clean again.  In the evenings and during the night we have subdued lighting and play music, often classical NPR, to keep our guests calm and rested.

  • Q: What sort of enrichment activities do your pets do?

    A: Easdale is unique in offering Trail Walks with Photo, the Ball Park, PawPaint Art Classes, Poolside, and One on One sessions. I. For descriptions and photos, Click Here. The One On One time can be tailored to your pet’s favorite activities such as hanging out at one of the many park benches we have for some petting, coat brushing, ball throwing, or special requests.

  • Q: What are some of the reasons that pets are boarded?

    A: Naturally, there can be nearly as many reasons as there are pets, so we treat your pet as an individual, NOT like one of the pack. Our goal is to provide fun and safe care so you need not worry during your travels and personal events:


    • We’re having a PARTY!
    • We are having the hardwood floors refinished.
    • Our daughter just had our first grandchild; we are going to see the baby!
    • The exterminators will be spraying pesticides that are dangerous to our pets!
    • Two weeks’ cruise in the Carribean for February—we’re so excited!
    • Our aunt dislikes our dog and she is coming to stay with us for a week!
    • The realtor promised our closing in 10 days!
    • My wife’s in labor—we’re going to the hospital NOW!

    Hey, we got this—don’t worry about your pet when you have major life events. It’s what we do.

  • Q: What should I bring?

    A:

    Food: We suggest that you provide your dog’s own food from home. Dishes/bowls are not necessary. This is to maintain consistency in your dog’s diet so as not to cause any digestive issues. If you prefer, we will provide a natural premium chicken and rice dry food.


    Bedding:  If you think your dog would be more comfortable with his own bedding, you are welcome to bring it if it fits in his area, is safe, and washable. If you would prefer, we are happy to provide a blanket or rug for your dog.


    Toys:  Space permitting, each dog is allowed to bring 3-5 items total. We have plenty of community toys but if you can bring a favorite toy and/or bone for your dog in his sleeping room. We do not allow rawhides, pig ears or greenies. NOTE: We have a 3 item limit and are not responsible for these items if anything happens to them during your dog’s stay.  Please do not bring irreplaceable items. We try to do a complete check of the areas before departure, but we are not perfect.

  • Q: What products are used to clean?

    A: We use mild enzyme cleaners. They are safe for pets and humans and also are effective disinfectants against common diseases. Our floors are quickly dried to keep your pet warm and dry also.

  • Q: How far in advance should I reserve my dates?

    A: We can accommodate most requests.  If you have dates over a holiday weekend or during summer vacation weeks when schools are out, we recommend reservations made 2 weeks in advance to avoid disappointment. Please do call anytime on short notice as you never know if we might have just the opening you need!

  • Q: Are there penalties for canceling/changing my dates?

    A: Easdale does not penalize customers for changes of plan. Just give us as much advance notice of the change or cancellation as possible so that we may offer that time/space to another customer.

  • Q: Why can’t we come at any time on any day?

    A: Our office is open 44 hours a week. When we are closed we are feeding our guests, spending time with them, and settling them in. New arrivals would keep everybody too excited and stressed out to eat or sleep well.  Because of our dedication to living on the property, we still need time for family meals, events, and to run errands.  It’s more important to us that we consistently care for your pet the right way; unfortunately it sometimes makes an inconvenience for drop off or pick up. That said, we do try to accommodate for family or health emergencies.

  • Q: My dog has fought with other dogs and will jump and growl when other dogs walk by sometimes. Is that a problem?

    A: Probably not as this is not uncommon. Guests are NOT in group settings with other dogs unless they are from the same family and the owner has said they are OK together. If your pet shows aggression to other dogs as they walk by, we can block the view and use an end run with no close neighbors. Our mission is to treat your pet like an individual, not like one of a pack.


    If your dog shows aggression towards people, please tell us. We can set up boarding so that the owner escorts the pet to and from his place. If we are able to complete feeding, basic care and cleaning using the divider door to segregate areas being worked on, all will work out. Safety for both your pet and our staff is paramount and we may need to decline the reservation with unusually aggressive pets.

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