It's no longer good enough to "kennel" your dog when you go on vacation.
Now, if you don't take your pup to a doggie spa or resort or at the very least, a "hotel," you're not a very good dog owner.
We're kidding, of course, but it seems as though any new or upscale pet-boarding place has some sort of chichi word or phrase in its name. The word "kennel" is rarely used.
So we dug around and found a few resort-esque places you could leave your dog or cat — and in some cases, your bird, rabbit or fish — while you escape the Tucson summer.
Julie Grounds opened Central Pet June 7 in Amado, between Tubac and Green Valley. Grounds, 40, said she's filling a need.
"It's a luxury place for animals," said Grounds, who worked at a pet-boarding business in San Antonio for four years to learn the ropes. "We've got day care, boarding, grooming, retail and two trainers."
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Central Pet is a 10,000-square-foot facility that houses up to 42 dogs and eight cats — separately, of course.
"We needed something in this area," said Sandy Mickey, a Tubac resident. She had Goldie, her fluffy white Coton de Tulear, with her at Central Pet's grand opening, which drew almost 400 people.
"We're at almost 60 percent capacity right now," Grounds said last week. "What hasn't surprised me so far is that there are people out there that love and care for their animals as much as we do."
Amenities include indoor-outdoor runs, air conditioning and an in-ground pool.
One Tucson site, Sabino Canyon Pet Resort, has boarded pets for about 15 years.
"Rather than being in a strip mall, we're on five acres of land," said owner Anne Donnellan. "We offer playtime for dogs, and we're the only one in town with an in-ground swimming pool."
Some places offer additional packages for your pet's stay.
Valley Pet Resort and Grooming is located next to Valley Animal Hospital. Clients can add packages such as a Pampered Kitty package, which costs $10 a day and includes an extra playtime, brushing session and catnip toy.
A Pampered Pooch package at Valley comes with a pet cot, extra playtime, bottled water, extra bathroom break and bedtime treat for $15 a day.
In the six luxury suites at Central Pet, dogs are in an 8-by-8-foot room, compared with the 4-by-6-foot rooms of the Top Dog suites. Pups can hang out on their own dog-size couch while listening to piped-in music and watching television.
In the cat room, kitties can climb up the "cat walk" and gaze at a real fish tank that looks like a flat-screen television.
"It's the perfect place for pets, naturally," said Grounds, noting that Central Pet uses organic food, dog treats and cat litter.
Training includes kindergarten puppy classes, obedience, agility and Canine Good Citizen. Dogs must earn that to proceed to therapy dog certification.
Some pet-boarding places have added services or amenities, too.
Over the past year, Sabino Canyon Pet Resort has put in 10 luxury suites for dogs.
The resort has a cat area, a place for grooming and a bone-shaped pool where a Labrador retriever recently was busy belly-flopping in and fetching toys.
"We first had two (suites) and a lot of people wanted them," Donnellan said.
"It's more like a little room rather than a typical dog run," said 21-year-old kennel manager Mystri Bothwell, who has worked at the pet resort about two years.
The suites, which have themes such as "Finding Nemo," have air-conditioning instead of evaporative cooling, inside-outside access and come with a bed. TV hookups are in each suite.
Boarding sites feed a variety of foods, from Pedigree to Science Diet to organic. Check with the boarding site to see if you want to bring your own. Some places charge extra to feed other food; others charge for more than one feeding a day.
Most also charge extra to give your pet medications, vitamins or extra walks.
Check-in and check-out times vary.
And you'll need to bring paperwork to the site proving that your pet is current on its vaccinations. Check to see what's needed.
Beth Maloney has boarded her dogs and had them groomed at Sabino Canyon Pet Resort for about six years. Her current dog, an 8-month-old English mastiff named Rufus, likes going there.
"We use it every time we go out of town," Maloney said. "I love their indoor-outdoor runs. (Rufus) knows when I'm turning the corner to go there. He gets excited.
"I trust them — and that's what's important."
Here are a few places to board your pet while you're out of town
Central Pet
• Location: 2875 E. Frontage Road, Amado.
• Cost to board per night: $26-$48 per dog; $21 per cat.
• What it offers: A brand-new facility with boarding, day care, grooming, training and retail.
• Amenities: Air conditioning, in-ground dog pool, organic food. Vacationers even can go online and watch their dog on its own "vacation" in its luxury suite.
• Discounts available: Yes. There's a $5 discount per day per run until the end of the year.
• Contact information: 1-520-398-8661.
Kennel Nirvana
• Location: 5630 N. Abington Road.
• Cost to board per night: $22.50-$30 for dogs; $15 for cats; $12.50-$15 for birds and pocket pets.
• What it offers: Up to 40 dogs and 12 cats can stay here.
Kennel Nirvana is based on an "exercise program" for the dogs, owner Natalie Carlton said. Dogs are taken out twice a day for three to four hours in the morning and two to three hours in the evening.
"We take the dogs out into compatible groups," said Carlton, noting that there are about 13 yards. "They're grouped by size, temperament and activity level. It's like doggie camp." "Our concept is entirely different than most places'," said Carlton, 65.
• Amenities: Portable pools are set up in the yards so dogs can play around. Carlton said unlike other kennels, hers is very quiet because of the amount of exercise the dogs receive.
• Discounts available: Yes, military.
• Contact information: 743-3117.
Petsmart PetsHotel
• Location: 7727 E. Broadway.
• Cost to board per night: $25-$35 per dog; $14 per cat.
• What it offers: The "hotel" opened in April and offers three play rooms and a relief room, so dogs are never outdoors. More than 200 dogs can be housed. Eight Kitty Cottages share a room separate from the dogs. The room has a television and its own air-filter system so the cats and dogs don't smell each other. Dog suites include more privacy, TVs, lambskin blankets and a "poochie cot." For all dogs, an exit bath costs $10; a nail trim $8.
• Amenities: Dogs can experience "Double Play" if they do well with other dogs, which is a half-hour of group playtime twice daily for $10 a day. The Busy Bundle costs $8 a day and is a snack, ice cream in the afternoon with dog biscuit and a half-hour playtime. Personal trainers can work with your dog on commands for $35 each 30-minute course.
• Discounts available: Yes.
• Contact information: 290-0776, Ext. 6, or petshotel.com.
Petsmart PetsHotel
• Location: 4374 N. Oracle Road.
• Cost to board per night: $25-$35 per dog; $14 per cat.
• What it offers: There are 147 kennels for dogs, 16 for cats, along with special-care rooms for animals with injuries. It's a larger facility than the PetsHotel on East Broadway.
• Amenities: The 17 dog suites have filtered water and air, 24-hour supervision and include up to three feedings a day, television, noise reduction, a Poochie Cot and lambskin blanket.
• Discounts available: Yes.
• Contact information: 407-0197, Ext. 6.
Sabino Canyon Pet Resort
• Location: 2001 N. Sabino Canyon Road.
• Cost to board per night: $6.95 for birds, rabbits and pocket pets; dogs $19.95-$29.95 a night; $11.95 a cat.
• What it offers: Grooming and bathing services, playtime, special treats and swimming in a bone-shaped pool.
• Amenities: In-ground pool; TV hookups in suites.
• Discounts available: Yes.
• Contact information: 290-8181 or www.sabino canyonpetresort.com.
Valley Pet Resort and Grooming
• Location: 4982 E. 22nd St.
• Cost to board per night: $19-$24 per dog; $12-$14 per cat; $8-$12 per bird; and $9-$10 per pocket pet. No reptiles or amphibians are permitted.
• What it offers: Thirty dog runs that can be doubled up; 15 cats cages that can be doubled up; seven cages for pocket pets; four cages for birds and room for four owners' cages.
• Amenities: Small dogs have access to one VIP suite ($19 a day). "It's an extra space," said Nancy Lonas, manger of Valley Pet Resort. "It's contact with us all the time, a pretty little cot and a princess pillow, and place mats for food and water." A doctor is on staff at all times. The resort has music and is working on getting televisions and a fish tank for the cat room. A warranty is provided for many of the dogs and cats that are boarded, depending on age. If the dog or cat gets sick up to seven days after it is boarded, Valley Animal Hospital will provide up to $300 of care. If the pet gets sick while at Valley Pet Resort, it is taken care of at Valley Animal Hospital next door.
• Discounts available: Yes, military and if the animal is boarded more than 30 days.
• Contact information: 748-2561.
