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What's new: In May of 2010 BFPC had its driveway and parking areas concreted! You can still park in front of the building, or you can park over in front of the hydrant area if you think your dog might have to relieve himself before walking in. Only now you will have nice flat concrete to walk across. No more gravel! Otherwise, bring him on in and we'll scoot him into one of the play yards while we make up his bed. That's the first place we put them anyway. And we have added a "Testimonials" section to the bottom of this page. Many of my clients already send me cards or letters and I do what I can to put them on my small bulletin board, but recently someone asked if I had a place on my website for the same thing, so I am posting their email towards the bottom of this page. It might be the only one for a while, but it's a start!
Discounts: I am surprised to see that many of my regular clients are just noticing that BFPC offers a 3% discount if using cash or check. This was started early 2009 as a way to give some relief due to "the economy" and is still in effect. See, it pays to read my signs!
Speaking of the economy: It seems like every time I walk into the local grocery store and look at their bulletin board, or open up the paper, there are more and more people advertising "pet sitting". I guess in today's economy people are looking to pick up a few extra dollars where they can and I can't say that I blame them. I touched on this form of pet care on my FAQs page and I'd like to say a few things here, too. First off, this form of pet care would be more correctly named pet visiting or pet checking , unless the caregiver actually sits with your pet like a baby sitter sits with a child. The word "sitting" though sells the consumer and subtly puts a pleasant vision in their mind that someone is always around and their pet is never alone. For this reason I'll use terms that I feel are more appropriate for this type of pet care. First I would like to say that some pets are probably much better off staying within the confines of their owner's home. Especially unruly pets or pets that suffer from severe separation anxiety. Some of those pets do fine boarding, but I always recommend a trial stay for some just to be sure they will be OK here. I have to have all my clients' best interest in mind. And of course we do not want to put your pet into a situation where they will not eat or drink for days, but these cases are pretty rare. Some things you should make sure of is that the pet visitor is bonded and insured for this type of work. Your home owners insurance will cover them if they slip and fall while on your property, but broken lamps, missing items, chewed couches because the dog wasn't confined to his area, bored dogs that scoot past them when they open the door to go looking for you or that jump over your fence, ruined carpet because they were late in getting to your pet... all these types of mishaps should be gone over between you and the pet visitor to see who exactly is responsible should something occur. And on a personal note, I would recommend at least 4-5 visits per day. You should never exercise a pet too close to feeding time or they might get sick and suffer from gastric torsion, or bloat, so that means extra visits in-between feedings so your dog can be properly exercised and played with during the day. And of course a night time visit. You don't want them to feel totally abandoned. Even if they have the company of other pets in the house it's not the same as human interaction. You might also want to ask the pet visitor what time they start their day, how much time will they spend with each pet and how many pets they are responsible for letting out each morning before they get to yours. These are just a few of the things that should be considered before hiring a pet checker, the same as asking questions to your boarding facility. If you are not comfortable leaving your pet in someone's care you aren't going to enjoy your vacation.
My business has grown: Something that several of my regular clients are experiencing and there is nothing I can do about is the fact that I am filling up further in advance for holidays and summer weekends. I do not like to turn away clients who have been with me from the start, but if a new client calls me in July for a reservation over Christmas, of course I am obligated to take it. Please, if you know you are going away on vacation, or to that family reunion, or to that graduation, get your reservation in for your pet as soon as you make your own plans. I have no plans on expanding (thank you for the suggestions though) and only have room to properly care for so many pets. Some of my clients have already started checking with me for availability before finalizing their vacation plans. And I greatly appreciate that!
Stay tuned: I am kicking around developing a VIP customer program. As soon as I know, you'll know!
Canine Influenza Virus: Some of you may recall this News page was devoted to CIV. It's still out there, but has kind of taken a back seat. And there is a vaccine out for it I hear, but some veterinarians are reluctant to add it to their arsenal of vaccines until it has been out and tested longer. I'm with those vets, as the virus was not fatal if diagnosed correctly in the first place. So our old news is still your good news... BFPC still maintains our 14 day policy where we do not board dogs if they were recently (within 14 days) exposed to other dogs in confined buildings who are out of our control. This includes trips to the local pet superstores, grooming salons, veterinarian clinics, dog rescue centers, indoor dog shows and similar places.
Testimonials: Dear Fred,
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