How to start up a boarding kennel

Boarding kennels are a great option for pet owners who need to travel and can’t take their furry friend with them. At a boarding kennel, your pet will be carefully cared for in a clean and spacious facility. Boarding kennels typically have a variety of activities to keep your pet entertained, including walks, playtime, and socialisation with other pets. most importantly, you can rest assured that your pet will be safe and well-cared for while you’re away.

When choosing a boarding kennel, be sure to tour the facility and meet the staff. This will help you to get a feel for the environment and make sure that it’s the right fit for your pet.

In boarding kennels, pets are boarded while their owners are away on vacation or during the day while they work. Find out how you can start and run your own animal boarding business in our guide.

How much demand is there for kennelling services?

It is important to conduct market research before starting your boarding kennel business in order to ensure its success. Some less-wealthy areas of the UK may have less demand for boarding kennels and catteries, but most areas will have a boarding kennel and cattery demand.

Competition

If there are already many boarding kennels in an area, it will be difficult to break into the market. To find out how many similar businesses there are in your area, check Yell.com and other business directories first. If you would like to see how close these establishments are to one another, or if there are any poor-served areas, you can mark them on a map of your local area.

It is important to keep in mind that many pet owners treat their pets as members of the family and can become extremely loyal to kennels that have provided them with excellent service in the past. As a result, it may be difficult for you to compete with existing kennels for business.

Learn about the services and prices offered by existing kennels.

Location

There are several reasons why it is important to choose the right location for a boarding kennel. Starting a kennel business can be difficult if you do not have planning permission (see below), so you may want to buy an existing kennel (see below).

Make sure the kennels are not too close to residential areas. There are several reasons for this, including:

• Your business’s catchment area. Unless you are specifically choosing to locate your kennels near an airport or ferry port, the majority of your clients will come from the surrounding area, so it is important to have a sufficiently large local population
• Noise pollution. It is important for boarding kennels to be situated in relatively isolated areas to avoid noise pollution. You should check whether any ongoing complaints over noise levels exist at a kennel before buying it if it has a licence, since there’s no guarantee that this licence will be renewed.
• If the kennel is easy to find. If a boarding kennel is located too far from the main road, customers may not be able to find it, thus losing business. Similar issues may also arise for delivery drivers

The proximity of main roads is often an advantage. If pet owners are en route to or from a vacation, they may want to drop off and pick up their animals. Having your kennel near an airport, seaport, or other destination may attract customers from far afield.

Customer profile

You have two types of customers, humans (and paying customers) and animals (and arguably the most important customers).

Here are some of your most likely human customers:

• Pet owners who wish to board their pets while on vacation. Various age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds will be represented. Regardless of their differences, however, they all want to see their family pet happy and well cared for while they’re away
• Non-permanent workers abroad. Military personnel, employees of multinational corporations, etc.
• The demand for day boarding, or ‘pet creches’, has increased in recent years among working people who are reluctant to leave their pets during the day.
• Charity organisations for animals. The owners of boarding kennels may be asked from time to time to house rescued animals on their property. There is usually a substantial discount given to these charities
• The police. There are times when police forces have to board some of their own dogs, such as dogs deemed unsuitable for police dog work and waiting to be re-homed

Quarantine kennels provide services to people who need to import rabies-susceptible pets – like cats, dogs, or ferrets – that do not meet EU guidelines. This market has almost completely disappeared since these rules were introduced, so you won’t likely be providing quarantine boarding unless you have a particularly good reason to do so. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, things could change.

Your animal customers might include:

• Any breed, size, or temperament of dog is welcome. Check their veterinary certificates before accepting dogs that have been vaccinated
• If you accept cats, then they must be vaccinated as well, just like dogs, which means that the same issues apply to them as well
• Other domestic animals. Your job may include boarding pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.
• Exotic pets such as snakes, lizards and spiders
• Animals of a larger size. You may be asked to board animals like pot-bellied pigs. In any case, you will have to decide for yourself whether you have the ability, expertise, and inclination to take care of these animals.

Besides boarding, you can also offer puppy training, grooming, and pet food sales as non-boarding businesses.

Decide what pet boarding services you will offer

If you’re planning to run a boarding kennel, you probably already have a good idea of what kind. The layout of the kennel or cattery buildings will be determined by your business plans if you start from scratch. The only thing you will have to consider is the existing buildings if you plan on buying an existing kennel. It may be that you plan to renovate an old barn or another suitable existing building.

Each individual unit of a conventional kennel building is accessible through a corridor. In addition to a run for each unit, strong perimeter fencing will prevent escapes. Wooden structures are often chewed by dogs, so licensing authorities typically insist on concrete or steel and wire mesh instead. In addition to an enclosed run, cats often live in chalets. There are different types of runs, such as those that are open to the elements, covered, or a mixture of both.

Consider the following things:

• Your acceptance policy for animals. Depending on your preference, you may accept only dogs or both dogs and cats. You might also intend to establish a cattery just for cats. Besides rodents and caged birds, perhaps you will accept reptiles or other animals
• The total capacity of the kennel. As far as financial considerations are concerned, it might be best to house as many animals as possible. You should remember, however, that running a kennel involves a lot of work and that, in order to cope with large numbers, you will almost certainly need to hire staff. Keeping numbers to a manageable level may be the best choice. Visiting existing boarding kennels will help you get a better idea of what sort of capacity would be ideal.
• the standard of accommodation you will offer. There are kennels that offer fairly basic accommodation and others that offer luxury services at a premium price
• It is important to know whether you will accept day boarders. Over the past few years, ‘pet creches’ have become increasingly popular
• If you plan to offer other services besides boarding, such as puppy training or grooming. You may have to hire a groomer or trainer if you intend to offer this type of service, or you may be able to do it yourself. Food and other pet products are also sometimes sold by boarding kennels, which you may want to consider offering.

Are you cut out for running a boarding kennel?

Managing a boarding kennel is often a physically demanding job. The mere love of animals is probably not enough for you to be a good veterinarian – you should think hard (and honestly) about whether you’re suited to the job. Although the working day ends by early evening, you will be near the animals 24 hours a day as your living accommodation will probably be on-site. You may be on duty all night if an animal is sick.

An average day will consist of the following:

• Clean the boarders’ living quarters and let them out
• Feeding and drinking vessels should be cleaned
• Boarders should be fed as necessary. The average cat is fed twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, while the average dog is fed just once a day. However, feeding routines are a matter of personal preference
• Ensure that new boarders are taken care of
• Clean the outside runs after letting the animals back inside
• Dogs should be walked/exercised
• Ensure that there are no escape routes by checking the fencing, walls, flooring, and so on
• Bedding should be checked for wear and tear
• Ensure that the animals’ health records and visual health are up to date
• If any animals need grooming, do so
• Customer service, deliveries, etc.
• Provide delivery and collection of boarders if you offer this service
• Arrange or oversee vet visits and administer any medicines and treatments
• Last but not least, make sure that all the animals are secure and that everything is running smoothly in the kennel

Remember to keep your books up to date as well, along with any admin you need to handle.

Seasonality and additional services

Boarding animals in a kennel is most common in conjunction with holidays, and as many animal owners also have children, the busiest periods are during school holidays. During Easter and Christmas, there are two weeks of school, and in the summer, there are six weeks with three week-long half-term breaks.

By targeting different markets, you can reduce the effect of seasonal fluctuations. Some people ask their neighbours or family members to feed their pets while they are away on weekends. People may choose your kennels over other kennels if you offer special rates and/or a pick-up and return service.

It may also be a good idea to offer other services along with boarding. A grooming parlour is one of the most popular options. Boarding fees often include grooming for the animals that you board with you, and this is often included in the charge for boarders. Non-boarders could, however, pay the full rate for this service.

For a grooming service to succeed, you may need qualified staff. Having a puppy training service and maybe a ‘pet creche’ service could further reduce the impact of seasonality on your business.

You can also earn more money by selling pet food and other products related to animals. You may have to ask your local authority first if you plan to do this on a large scale.

Make sure you start your business at the right time of year if you think your income will be highly seasonal. It is possible that you may have to go without much income for several months before you can cover your regular expenses and overheads, including loan repayments, if you start up at the beginning of your quietest time of year.

Kennel occupancy levels

A company’s ‘occupancy level’ describes how much of their maximum capacity is occupied at any given time. Remember that your maximum capacity may well need to include some permanent empty units that can be used in an emergency as isolation kennels.

A kennel’s occupancy level can be affected by a number of factors, particularly the time of year. Throughout the year, there will be quiet periods. The peak school holiday periods are when your kennels are most likely to be fully booked, maybe about 10 weeks per year. From nearly full to nearly empty, the remaining weeks are likely to vary.

An example of a typical year’s bookings and occupancy might be as follows:

• 100% booked – about 10 weeks
• 75% booked – about 12 weeks
• 50% booked – about 18 weeks
• 25% booked – about 9 weeks
• 10% booked – about 3 weeks

If you want to maximize occupancy levels in the peak summer period, you might impose a minimum stay – perhaps one week. At all times of the year, there is usually a minimum charge of two nights of accommodation.

You should make your own estimates based on your own situation, taking these figures into consideration. Your occupancy level may be 0% during several weeks of the year if you are closed.

You should keep occupancy records once your business is up and running. This information will help you understand how your business is performing and identify particularly quiet periods so that you can increase occupancy.

Price your kennelling services

Your fees should cover all of your operating costs, including your own drawings.

There are lots of factors that impact kennel fees, such as where the kennel is located, its standards and facilities, and its reputation. If you’re planning to offer a particular type of service or standard of service in your area, check out the going rate online to get a sense of the costs.

Different kennels charge different prices for different types and sizes of animals, for example:

• Small dog from £16.00 per night
• Medium dog from £17.00 per night
• Large dog from £18.00 per night
• Very large dog (if taken) from £19.00 per night
• Cat (if applicable) from £10.00 per night

Prices quoted to the public generally include VAT (if applicable), since most of your customers are members of the general public.

Those dogs that are prone to antisocial behaviour, for example, may require an extra fee.

Some boarding kennels double their charges for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day if you board dogs and cats over the Christmas and New Year period. They usually charge more during the summer holidays, Christmas, and Easter fortnights.

Rather than setting a set tariff, you can negotiate a rate with each pet owner if you are able to take other types of animals. A rabbit may be charged the same rate as a cat (although rabbits and other small animals are usually charged at a lower rate) and a domestic pig may be charged the same rate as a very large dog.

Prepare a pricing strategy for your customers. Bookings can be made with a deposit, with the balance due upon collection, or the full fee can be charged in advance. You should also consider the inclusions in your fees. Do you plan to charge extra for insurance, or will your daily fees cover it? If customers provide their own pet food, will you offer discounts? Maybe you’ll charge extra for winter heating, bathing, calmer/relaxant, special diets, etc.

Consider how much you’ll charge for any other services you offer besides boarding. You can offer such services as dog walking, dog day care, and pet transportation (‘pet taxi’).

Special offers and discounts

From time to time, you may wish to offer special offers. Your business is most likely to be quiet during these periods.

Regular customers and people who board their pets over a long period of time (for example, over a month) usually get discounts at boarding kennels. More than one animal can also qualify for a discount from many boarding facilities. If you want to build up a regular customer base, you may want to consider offering free trial stays. The increasing number of people taking weekend breaks might lead you to offer special weekend boarding rates.

Promoting your pet boarding services

• Local newspapers and directories can be used to advertise
• Participate in a local event, such as a dog show
• Advertise on Yell.com for a fee
• Keep in touch with customers through social media, forums, and blogs

You have to pay for almost all types of advertising and promotion, whether it’s financially or in terms of your own time and effort. Spending time and money on advertising must be justified by its beneficial effects. Trial and error is sometimes necessary to determine which forms of advertising work best for you.

Buy an existing kennel or pet boarding business

Instead of starting your own venture from scratch, you might decide to purchase an existing kennel. When you buy a going concern, you will already have the products, customers, regular sales, staff, premises, and equipment.

The pet boarding industry is fairly common for those who want to get into it. There are times when an established business and the owner’s accommodation are sold together. There are many things to consider when you combine a business purchase with a house move.

If you do not have the right legal and financial know-how on your team, buying a business can be a hazardous, expensive process. Be sure the company’s financial and trading position is genuine before you pay a high price.

The mere fact that a kennel currently has a licence does not guarantee that it will be automatically renewed when it expires. Licences are issued on an annual basis. If the licence was not renewed, you may need to contact your local authority to find out why (for example, noise complaints). Identify any problems with your neighbours by meeting them as well.