Pet Boarding Fire Safety

Kennel Pros Offer Advice

An accidental fire at the Pennsylvania-based Pazzazz Pet Boarding kennel took the lives of 17 dogs, including Martha Stewart’s 5-month-old chow chow, Genghis Khan.

The news of the kennel’s tragic misfortune—possibly caused by a propane gas tank malfunction—has pet owners across the nation taking note and asking the same question: What can I do to make sure my pet will be protected at a boarding facility?

Pet Care Services Association, a nonprofit group that evaluates boarding facilities for professional standards and quality care, encourages owners to thoroughly research facilities where they board their pets to verify they’re prepared to handle emergencies such fires.

“The biggest point that pet owners should think about when boarding their pets is safety,” says Joseph Lyman, CEO of PCSA. “Does the facility have an adequate number of individuals in position to overcome some of the obstacles that could arise at a kennel?”

Pet Boarding Emergency Tactics

Lysa Knight, co-owner of Wags & Wiggles Dog Daycare in Tustin, Calif., says her boarding facility has taken strategic steps to protect the pets in their care.

“The building is wired for security and fire detection, including fire extinguishers and a sprinkler system,” Knight explains. “A third-party security company immediately receives alerts indicating a fire or a breach of security—we have motion detectors throughout the facility. The security company then alerts the fire department or the police, then places calls to me and my business partner and our managers.”

Knight, who lives nearby the facility, says an evacuation plan has been set in place in case of an emergency. “We high-tail it to the building as soon as we get the call. Our RV serves as a temporary staging solution until we can get all of the pets to safety.” The kennel's second facility located in Rancho Santa Margarita has an expansive outdoor area where dogs can be temporarily corralled. Pet nametags and pet owner contact lists are readily available.

“Thankfully, we’ve never had an incident,” says Knight. “Once, a puggle puppy got free of his pen and set off the motion detector. I was at the building within minutes after I got the call—the police were already there, waiting for me.”

"It’s our job to make sure these dogs aren’t just happy and having a good time, but to also give their families the peace of mind that they’re safe.”

Protecting Pampered Pups

On a busy day there can be as many as 130 dogs boarded at the Holly Ridge Manor Canine Country Club in Virginia Beach, Va. The luxury facility for pampered pups sits on a 60-acre farm and offers a variety of play areas, climate-controlled hotel-like “rooms”—not kennels, and training classes.

Holly Ridge Manor is a family-run business. Sonny and Jackie Roundtree have a birds-eye view of the kennel from their house and their grandson, who manages the kennel, lives above the facility, located in what used to be an oversized horse barn.

Renovating the barn into a state-of-the-art kennel not only meant putting TVs in the dogs’ rooms, it also meant establishing safety measures for the cherished guests.

“Our clients love that the family lives on the property,” says Carey Fidler, one of Holly Ridge’s managers. “The staff is here by 6 every morning and leaves between 9 and 10 at night.”

Fidler, who lives six miles from Holly Ridge, explains that if an emergency arises after hours—such as a fire—the staff is immediately alerted and all hands are on deck to evacuate the pets into outdoor safety zones.

“We have multiple areas that play a key role in quickly and efficiently evacuating the dogs,” she explains. “Grouping the smaller dogs from the larger ones, as well as containing non-social dogs, are handled by our large staff whose single goal is to get the dogs out of harm’s way with as little stress and chaos as possible.”

The facility is well equipped with fire alarms and fire extinguishers and the closest fire rescue squad is just two miles away.

“It’s our job to make sure these dogs aren’t just happy and having a good time,” Fidler says, “but to also give their families the peace of mind that they’re safe.”

Pet Boarding Tips

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends that pet owners should be proactive when trying to find a suitable kennel. Several tips to consider:

• Visit the facility in person and conduct your own safety check.
• Fire extinguishers should be present and fire exits should be clearly marked.
• Ask employees if the facility has a night attendant or remote monitoring capabilities and what their plan is in the case of an after-hours emergency evacuation.
• Be sure your pet has a microchip or some other form of permanent identification when it is boarded.
• Do not assume the facility is licensed: check to see whether the facility has received a Voluntary Facilities Accreditation (VPA).

Pet daycare and boarding facilities may qualify to earn accreditation from the PSCA’s VPA Program, which promotes professional standards and operations through a variety of comprehensive procedures, including a rigorous inspection. Pet owners interested in finding an accredited facility in their area can visit the PSCA Web site.

Email this article to a friend or share it via your favorite social network.