Taking care of a puppy is no easy task for a first-time pet owner. In 2013, I managed to adopt a rescued dog, had she checked up and vaccinated, helped more stray dogs to find home, and also had myself vaccinated from scratching.
As I plan to leave Beijing for Spring Festival, it’s time to start worrying about boarding for Toffee, my 1-year-old female puppy (although I did joke about leaving her food and water and hoping for the best).
After several phone calls, I was relieved to find that it was not too late to reserve a spot at most vet hospitals. The cost for kennel service tends to fall between RMB 100 and RMB 150 per day around Spring Festival, depending on the size and breed of the animal.
It is also good to know that all the hospitals I called said they would keep each pet individually, even when they are let out to exercise.
Each pet is expected to have the kennel cough vaccination (RMB 100-150) to prevent respiratory disorders, and one shower (RMB 80-100) or two arranged for their stay. Like ICVS, most hospitals I called also offered free updates with photos of the pet via email every day.
My major concern (and that of many other pet owners) is whether my dog will get used to the new environment, especially being locked in a cage. Most animal hospitals downtown provide all-around service but due to space limitations, animals have to stay in 1m by 1m cages most of the time. For timid animals, especially kittens, this is likely to result in depression.
However, I was surprised to find out that Kang Kang Animal Hospital in Shunyi does not keep their pets in cages. Instead, each animal has a 4sqm room of their own with a 24-hour camera for the owner’s peace of mind.
But considering my dog’s lively and irritable personality, I am still not sure whether I should use a boarding service. Right now, I’m still hoping to find someone who can come to my apartment to feed and spend a little time with her each day. If that doesn’t work out, I will have to choose one of the following kennels.
- International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS): Tue-Sun 9am-8pm, Mon 9am-6pm. 13-16 Rongke Ganlan Chengshang Jie, Futongxi Dajie, Wangjing, Chaoyang District (8456 1939) 朝阳区望京阜通西大街, 融科橄榄城商街13-16号 Click here for price and details of boarding service.
- Beijing Mingshi Dog Industry: Daily 8:30am-5:30pm. 88 Cailang Lu, Caiyu Zhen, Daxing District (8020 1818) 大兴区采育镇采廊路88号 Click here for more about boarding.
- Doctors Beck & Stone: Daily 9am-7pm. Click here for the nearest location and here for more about boarding.
- Kang Kang Animal Hospital: Daily 9am-7pm. 801-802 Pinnacle Plaza, Shunyi District (8046 2358/133-1129-3008) Click here for more about boarding.
- Yi Ya World Veterinarian
: Daily 8:30am-9pm. 34 Gongti Beilu, near the north gate of Workers Stadium, Chaoyang District (6552 5829) 朝阳区工体北路34号
Photo: Clemence Jiang
