Dog boarding: An unregulated industry

In Central Oregon, we take our dogs with us everywhere. It’s one of the Top 10, if not the most dog-friendly town in the U.S. But when you leave Dog Town USA and board your pup, just how friendly is it?

In 2010, a local family boarded their border collie at a Redmond dog boarding facility. They say when they got her back, something wasn’t right.

Eventually, after taking their dog to the vet, they sued. They said someone kicked their dog. A worker at the kennel was found not guilty in court. Litigation is still ongoing in a related but separate case.

The idea of man’s best friend injured in any way , regardless of how, is hard for many to stomach. Dogs become part of the family and are treated as such.

“When you get a dog as sweet and gentle as Lucy is, they become your best friend,” one Bend dog owner says of her lab, Lucy.

Dog owners worry about them while they’re at work, like they would a child.

“All the time — I look forward to coming home with her every day,” another lab owner said.

Boarding is like dropping your kid off at summer camp — except this camp has few externally set rules or regulations. The state requires that animals in kennels get one hour of exercise a day. That’s the only rule regarding animal health. Most kennels have rules about vaccinations as well.

The owner of Wag Bend, Justin Crowson, has been in the dog boarding and day care business for five years in Central Oregon. He said he takes pride in his kennel. He researched for months before he and his wife started the business.

At Wag Bend, the pups play free during the day/.But that’s not what it’s like everywhere.

“Yeah it (the state requirement) is very bare minimal and not a lot, but some (kennels) do operate that way,” Crowson said.

He said that in his five years here, he’s heard things.

“There’s no real regulations, so to speak, except for a personal responsibility that you feel toward someone’s animal,” Crowson said.

As far as the city and county go, there are a few zoning provisions that are based on complaints from the public. Those have to do more with noise, smell and the like.

“It’s not as if we’re circling the neighborhood with code enforcement staff trying to find kennels,” said Peter Gutowsky, Deschutes County planning manager.

There are no surprise or planned inspections.

“A lot of life comes down to in general, are you comfortable with somebody or are you not?” Crowson said.

There are ways to help you figure that out, because there are trustworthy kennels in Central Oregon.

First things first: Ask around. Friends, family and your vet are good options for recommendations.

Then ask questions. Ask to see where the dogs stay at night. Once you’re back there, sniff out the red flags. Take note of whether it’s clean, a comfortable temperature and ask how they keep track of medications and food. Know the worker-to-dog ratio.

“From ASPCA (recommendations), that’s 10 to 15 dogs per person,” Crowson said.

Ultimately, you have to be the watchdog.

“You should be able to drop in on a facility at any given time and look at it,” Crowson said.

That way, you’ll come home to a wagging tail.