Regular pick-up and drop-off times are from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. We are here all day, 7 days a week! If you are coming for a day stay, please arrive prior to 9:00 am unless special arrangements are made in advance. If your dog is staying overnight, just let us know when you are coming and we’ll have your pet and their things ready for you.
Here are the essentials required for your stay at Sunset Dog Retreat:
- Pet vaccination certificate
- Emergency contact number
- Food & medications
- Collar
Please allow a minimum of 10 minutes to do your initial check-in, as you would at any hotel.
The above items are mandatory to ensure your pet’s safe and comfortable stay. You may use your veterinarian as an emergency contact — or you can authorize us as agents to take your pet to the vet in an emergency.
If your dog has health problems, please inform us of their condition and bring any medication. We recommend that the dog stays on their own diet, so please bring enough food for their stay. You don’t need to bring bowls for food or water. Please bring your dog in on a leash. Once your dog is inside, you can take the leash away with you.
At Sunset Dog Retreat, we are all-inclusive with our pricing. We provide walks, dispensing of medications, and other special needs. It’s all on the ‘barn’ — we don’t charge extra for these things!
Yes, we would be happy to show you and your dog around the kennel! In fact, we recommend a tour before your first visit. Contact us to arrange a time to come and check the place out.
The dogs sleep in 9 by 10 ft. kennel stalls, with heated floors and bedding. Based on our assessment, sleeping arrangements will vary. All our arrangements will be in the best interests of your loved ones.
We will feed the dogs according to your regular feeding schedule!
No, the dogs are all fed separately, unless they are a family unit that won’t steal each other’s food. We understand that food guarding can be an issue with some dogs, so we take steps to avoid this.
Yes, we have freezers and a fridge where we can store raw food.
The dogs are rotated all day long as part of our all-inclusive service. Depending on the weather, your dog could be outside for up to 6 hours per day in the summer. In the winter, this number will typically be less. Your dog’s health and energy needs will also dictate how much time they spend socializing with other dogs.
Yes, we are always interacting with the dogs throughout the day. In addition to our regular staff, we are fortunate to have a great team of volunteers, some from the University of Guelph veterinary program, who provide extra care for the dogs. We also have an on site vet!
We have a well on-site with fresh water. Water is accessible to the dogs at all times. We place pails and buckets everywhere in the barn, and there is an open pool in the summertime.
We will take in pets without the Bordetella (Kennel Cough) shot. This shot is advisable, but not strictly enforced. Please rely on the advice of your own veterinarian.
We will take dogs who have not been spayed or neutered. In these cases, it is our policy to watch them carefully and separate from other dogs as necessary. Keep in mind that this is a non-aggressive environment.
Yes, as long as your puppy has their DHPP vaccination (distemper), then we will take them. Based on the vet’s discretion, we may keep them in the house until there are anywhere up to 8 months old. The decision to place them in the house or in the barn with the other dogs will depend on their temperament and how they respond to the environment.
Yes, we do take older dogs with medical problems. Please give us information about the problem(s) and we will look after it.
No, we do not typically take in cats. We do make exceptions, for example, if you have both a dog and a cat that you are looking to board together. We can accommodate cats in the house — we have even taken in guinea pigs and birds in the past. Please reach out to us in advance if you are looking to board multiple types of pets, as it is not typically what we do. Costs will vary depending on what type of pet you are bringing in. We do not accept teenagers! 🙂
Yes. Over 3 years we have had a dog dig under the fence and one other time a dog ran out through the front door! in both events the dogs were found and are alive today! we never anticipated each incident and never want it to happen ever again. To correct the problems we have added 1400 feet of boulders (rocks) at the base of the fence to deter aggressive digging and we also added extra measures in front of the barn by erecting a commercial grade fence that acts as a double door! we are very confident our facility will keep our fury canines safe and contained in our grand play area and dog barn! if your dog can climb a 7 foot chain link fence approved by the town of Milton we suggest you look for another free range kennel.
