Finding the right doggy day care

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Story Published: Jan 4, 2008 at 5:14 PM PDT

By Laura Rillos

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A recent attack at a Springfield doggy day care center may have left some owners afraid to take their dogs to similar facilities.

Since there is no governing body overseeing doggy day cares, so it's up to dog owners to evaluate the facilities for themselves.

Paul Haugen says his dog, Daisy, loves coming to Lucky Dog Day and Night Care.

"You can't hold her back on her leash when she comes here," he said. "I've taken her to other places before where she didn't want to get out of the car to go here. But she's excited to come here and interact with dogs, other than just being penned up."

Haugen loves bringing Daisy because he feels she is safe, thanks to the center's selective acceptance policy.

"They interview you, the parents of the dog, the owners," said Haugen. "Not every dog can come here, they have to have a good demeanor and be well behaved and get along with other dogs."

Lucky Dog owner Mandie Stuhan says you should also look for cleanliness and ask about safety protocols when you consider a facility.

"In a case where there is an emergency, in case a dog is ill or something should happen that the dog needed to be treated, I think it's very important to understand what the protocol would be," she said. "So yes, that is a very good question."

Stuhan also recommends asking about employee qualifications.

Lucky Dog's employees are certified pet technicians and receive 2- hours of animal behavior traninng.

Unfortunately, that is rare in the industry.

The American Boarding Kennels Association is currently exploring the possibility of a dog day care accredidation system.

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