What To Look For When Booking Your Pet’s Easter Holiday

MEDIA RELEASE
by Hanrob Pet Hotels

Taking a few simple precautions can ensure you enjoy peace of mind during your Easter holidays this year

Sydney March 2017: Easter is the biggest and most anticipated long weekend of the year1. And with just five weeks to go until our nation’s roads are at their busiest, you may already be planning your escape route. But don’t forget your pet!

While some pet owners prefer to leave their beloved dogs and cats with friends or family during their holiday, a recent study revealed many Australian pet owners shy away from this option2. The reason? The majority feared their pets wouldn’t receive the level of attention they need, whilst others were concerned their friends and rellies wouldn’t know what to do2. So what’s the alternative?

A number of companies offer ‘pet-sitting’ services, with employees visiting your home to feed and walk your pet whilst you’re away. Your pet gets to stay in their own home, but Pet Sitters are frequently responsible for a number of animals in the local area at the same time3 and their resources can be stretched. “As a result, your pets may miss out on the level of one-to-one care they need,” says Andrew Biggs, CEO of family-owned and operated Hanrob Pet Hotels.

Professional dog and cat boarding accommodation provides a number of advantages over alternatives. Your pet is supervised 24 hours a day, in a purpose-built, secure facility by trained professionals. They have access to both indoor and outdoor play areas, as well as to socialisation in the form of other animals or playmates. Of course, should anything go wrong, pets also have 24 hour access to professional veterinary care.

Your Pet Will Be Supervised 24/7

But not all boarding facilities are created equal. As Australia’s largest and most long-standing pet accommodation and dog training service, Hanrob Pet Hotels  recommends taking a few simple precautions to ensure peace of mind during your Easter holidays this year. “By running through a simple check list when choosing a pet hotel, pet owners can rest assured their pet is in the best hands whilst they’re away,” says Mr Biggs.

Check online reviews. Nothing speaks louder than peer-reviews. Check sites such as wordofmouth.com.au, Google Reviews and, of course, the company’s Facebook page. If there is an overwhelming body of positive reviews, you can rest assured you’ll likely have the same experience too.

Ask for a tour. “Most reputable boarding facilities will gladly welcome you into their hotel and show you the different accommodation options and introduce you to the people who will be caring for your pets” advises Mr Biggs. “If you can’t get to the facility, ask if they have photographs they can email you, or an online tour showing the facilities.”

Does the facility accommodate special requests? Some pets need special attention. They may be in their senior years, be on a special diet, or need medication administered on a daily basis. Ensure that your chosen pet hotel is able to accommodate these kinds of requests. “At Hanrob Pet Hotels all our staff are trained in order to safely cater to special diets, feeding techniques and to administer medication if required,” says Mr Biggs.

What happens in bad weather? Ask if there is somewhere for your pet to exercise when the weather is poor. “A reputable boarding facility will have both secure indoor and outdoor play areas,” adds Mr Biggs.

How do we keep in touch? Ask about the options for keeping in touch with your pet. They’re part of the family, and you’ll miss them on your holiday. Photos and live video via FaceTime or Skype can help put your mind at ease whilst you’re away on holiday as well as regular updates if required. “Our own research4 shows that 15 per cent of pet owners miss their animal companions more than their human partners – and 7 per cent miss their pets more than their own children,” says Mr Biggs. “That’s why we offer customers Skye or iPhone sessions with their pets.”

Get Peace of Mind. There’s no doubt pet boarding is different to staying at home with your pet. Ensure you ask about what to expect when you get home. You need to have peace of mind knowing that that your chosen accommodation is open and honest about the advice they give you.

Secure Indoor and Outdoor Play Areas

About Hanrob Pet Hotels
Family owned and operated for over 35 years,  Hanrob Pet Hotels has been setting the standards in pet boarding since 1981 and now operate six pet hotels and dog training academies across Australia’s Eastern Seaboard  – Heathcote, Sydney Airport, Duffys Forest and, more recently, Canberra and Brisbane.  They also offer over 100 collective years of expertise in Dog Training and education via Hanrob Dog Training Academy – Customers can request their dog be trained while they’re staying at Hanrob’s hotels or can become a certified dog trainer.

As well as trusted, secure pet boarding facilities, Hanrob Pet Hotels offers pet owners more than the average pet minder –  with options for live skype / FaceTime catch ups with their loved ones, group play, obedience training and grooming, as well as luxury suite accommodation for the most pampered of pooches.

“Our long-standing reputation is also backed up by a history of awards from review site wordofmouth.com.au,” says Mr Biggs. “Customer feedback is extremely important to us and we are continually improving our services based on this feedback.”

Customers also recommend the free Hanrob Pet Shuttle service as the ultimate in hassle-free convenience – especially when it comes to packing up for holiday time. Pets can be dropped at their local vets and transported to their boarding accommodation with minimal disruption to their owners.

 

1As cited by Deputy Premier, Police and Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey at the launch of the Government’s Easter Traffic Campaign

2 Australian Dog Lover Magazine http://www.australiandoglover.com/2016

3 Daily Telegraph Australia, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/north-shore/sydney-pet-sitter-gets-paid-to-play-with-dogs-all-day/news-story/9c3bfa73e4d12eb2a78e20a54f80952f

4 News.com.au http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/australians-have-pet-dreams-and-miss-them-more-than-friends-or-family-on-holiday/news-story/757aa1e62003a3a1ceb0b1e4600bb6ad

Professional Dog and Cat Boarding Accommodation


 

Pressplay Pets a blog for the modern age pet parent interested in health & care, news, reviews & personal accounts of unconditional love & at times heartfelt pain of pet parenting!

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2 Responses

  1. PetsForever says:

    Hello
    Thanks for sharing the great information. I read this blog and must say the information that you shared in this blog is really very useful. Please post more blog related to ”Best Advice From Pet Experts In Australia”
    Thank You.

  2. I like how you said nothing speaks louder than peer-reviews. We’re planning on going on a week long vacation but can’t bring our dog with us this time. He’s like our child, so it’ll give us comfort, if we leave him at a kennel, that other people have had positive things to say about the facility.

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