Traveling can be stressful enough without worrying about how your canine or feline companion will fare without you. After all, nobody knows Buster or Fluffy like you do. Fortunately, we've found several area kennels you can trust.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Kennels

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Kennels Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Kennels.

• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Kennel: They also do excellent follow up on missed dates!.......
• Subscriber from MILLBRAE, CA wrote Another Kennel: My dog loves Planet Pooch. I feel confident boarding her there........
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Kennel: Extremly caring, can't ask for better service........
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Kennel: They have remodeled and have not used the new facilities yet. The space should not..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Kennel: Watch out for FLEAS after your dog visits Club K9!!.......
• Subscriber from MENLO PARK, CA wrote Another Kennel: The staff is very friendly and helpful, and having a webcam so I can check..........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Kennel: Very nice, well run place. They obviously love dogs and take good care of yours........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Kennel: Love these guys. The 24 hour pick up and drop off is great, and the..........
• Subscriber from MILL VALLEY, CA wrote Another Kennel: I've been going here for 28 years and wouldn't think of going anywhere else!.......
• Subscriber from CUPERTINO, CA wrote Another Kennel: Our dog came back to us apparently happy, and in good health. However, since we..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Kennel: Excellent personalized treatment of our dog........
• Subscriber from MORAGA, CA wrote Another Kennel: the most amazing set up. Very reasonably priced ($30/day). Dogs get to run around in..........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA wrote Another Kennel: We wouldn't take our dogs to any other place!.......
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Kennel: You asked about dog. I board two cats and two dogs........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Kennel: They include services that cost extra at other kennels so their actual daily rate is..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Kennel: Expensive, but good place to leave dog........
• Subscriber from BURLINGAME, CA wrote Another Kennel: Never seen a kennel this good. They keep dogs in groups, not individual runs. They..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Kennel: Nice location in the countryside of Novato. Horses and plenty of nature to sniff. Reasonable..........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Kennel: Tom and Debbie are extreemly caring, conscientious kennel operators. They genuinely seem to enjoy having..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Kennel: After being told she received an exit bath, my dog was not clean on pick-up........
• Subscriber from CONCORD, CA wrote Another Kennel: Hours of operation are restrictive. Dog returned more soiled than expected........
• Subscriber from PLEASANTON, CA wrote Another Kennel: They often close for pick up & drop off for a week during Holiday times,..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Kennel: I've used them for years and my dog is happy to go there (as well..........
• Subscriber from FREMONT, CA wrote Another Kennel: Indoor/outdoor dog runs so your dog has access to indoor and outdoor all day. Animals..........
• Subscriber from LIVERMORE, CA wrote Another Kennel: My comments refer to care of my older cat - NOT to a dog........
• Subscriber from RICHMOND, CA wrote Another Kennel: The main kennel building is styled like a dog pound -- a long, open-ended shed,..........
• Subscriber from BENICIA, CA wrote Another Kennel: I did not see the staff with my dog other than at drop off and..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Kennel: We've boarded our dogs here for several years and always found the service to be..........
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Kennel: I would not trust my dogs anywhere else. We've gone from one and half monthes..........
• Subscriber from DUBLIN, CA wrote Another Kennel: Best kennel in the Dublin/Pleasanton area........
• Subscriber from MORGAN HILL, CA wrote Another Kennel: The Veterinarian at this facility has pled guilty to animal abuse, animal neglect, negligence which..........
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Kennel: We board our cats here. The cats are very well looked after.The inclosures are spacious..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Kennel: They did not follow my instructions and seriously underfed my dog........
• Subscriber from NOVATO, CA wrote Another Kennel: Requires dog to pass personality test for a group boarding situation. Animals are placed in..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Kennel: Even though this was a little more expensive than other kennels, just the fact that..........