Pet Boarding in North Atlanta

Being the current owner of both a dog and a cat…well, let me rephrase that…being the humble servant of the dog and cat that chose to bless us with their attentions, I have spent many hours during my excursions away from home worrying about how my fuzzy children were faring in the confines of the boarder's cage. In the past year, my daughter and I have started a pet sitting service in our neighborhood, so my research has covered quite a few of the options/services available for our beloved animals.

I once boarded my dog at the vet, simply because we had to take a last-minute trip, and both of the boarders I use were completely booked. However, that would be my last choice, not because I have any complaints about my vet's office - they are terrific - but because their focus is not boarding, it's medical care, so their boarding facilities/services are limited.
In the North Fulton and South Forsyth regions of Atlanta, I have found two pet boarders that I highly recommend. The first is Pet Lodge in Alpharetta, GA, which is owned and operated by Ken Miller, who has been boarding dogs for over 28 years. He has also been training dogs for 40 years, starting in the area of law enforcement, expanding to search and rescue, apprehension and drug detection. For those that live in the southeast, you may have seen one of his own dogs on television. Mambo, a golden retriever, plays "Duke", the talking dog on the Bush Beans © commercials. According to a local billboard, Pet Lodge was listed as one of the top ten boarders in the world by The Travel Channel.

Pet Lodge offers a wide variety of boarding services, all of which the owners can choose, based on their needs/budget. They offer standard boarding and grooming and, for an additional fee, you can choose other activities for your pet: swims in the lap pool, nature walks, or playtime in a playroom with one of the employees. Pet Lodge also offers training classes.

I have boarded my dog at Pet Lodge on several occasions, and you can really see the commitment and caring attitudes all of the staff has for the animals there. Being as wonderful as they are, they are often booked weeks or months in advance, so plan to reserve a space early.

The second boarder that I recommend in the North Fulton/South Forsyth area of Atlanta is Furry Friends. This is a smaller boarding facility on Hwy. 9 in Alpharetta, GA. They were recommended to me by one of my daughter's teachers who has three dogs and boards them at Furry Friends regularly.

Furry Friends is also involved in helping train law enforcement dogs, but their main focus is boarding. Again, I have boarded both my cat and dog at Furry Friends, and have been very happy with their services each time. Like Pet Lodge, you can see the commitment and caring for the animals from the employees.

Furry Friends offers standard boarding and grooming, with options for the types of rooms in which your pet resides while he is there, and a play area. The standard boarding includes three walks/play times per day. Again, the quality of this facility is well-known in the area, so make your reservations in advance to assure a space.

Both of these pet boarders require current vaccinations for any animal they board, and guidelines for mandatory baths after a certain number of days your pet is at the facility.

For me, both of these pet boarders provide quality, worry-free care of my own pets when I am away, and I highly recommend both of them.

Pet Lodge: http://pet-lodge.com/
Furry Friends: http://www.furryfriendskennel.com/index.html