At Dogwood Kennels and Cattery, we do things a little differently when it comes to boarding pets. We always put our boarders’ needs and feelings first in everything we do. Our kennel is nestled on 14 beautiful acres, and the entire property is fully fenced, with a safe, automatically closing front gate. Our dog boarders and daycare dogs enjoy playing in spacious, grassy, fenced-in yards.  For our feline friends, we create a peaceful, comfortable environment where they can relax, play with toys, and feel right at home during their stay.  Above all, we focus on putting our guests first, ensuring they have a happy, peaceful stay with us.

We have all indoor kennels.  That’s on purpose.  We want our dog boarders outside interacting with our team and the other boarders at our kennel.  Our boarders spend their days doing the things they love most.  They play with their friends in big grassy fields full of enrichment experiences like playground equipment, pools, sprinklers, toys and games.  Our boarders are up and out early, they play all day and, by the end of the day, they are happy and tired…everyone sleeps well at Dogwood. 

We take great care in matching dogs with similar personalities and energy levels, ensuring everyone has a fun and positive experience. If your pup isn’t keen on playing with other dogs, don’t worry! We’ll provide them with plenty of love, attention, and one-on-one playtime. To make sure every dog is comfortable and safe, we have two trainers on-site who specialize in behavior and temperament evaluations. Each dog is carefully assessed to ensure they’re dog-friendly before joining playgroups. We use our own friendly dogs to help evaluate new guests and ensure compatibility. Our team is always present during playgroups, maintaining a safe, fun environment for everyone.

We’re always keeping a close eye on our dog and cat boarders and daycare dogs while they’re in their runs, looking for any signs of discomfort or stress. If a pet is feeling uneasy, we address it with gentle, positive reinforcement to help them relax. Since we live on-site, we regularly check on our boarders at night to ensure they’re comfortable and stress-free. We’re dedicated to spending extra time cuddling and soothing pets when needed, making sure they feel at ease throughout their stay. This personalized attention is one of the reasons our clients tell us their dogs arrive excited, eager to meet new friends, and ready to play.

Our team loves spending time with our cat boarders throughout the day, making sure they get plenty of attention, enrichment, and love. We use the same fear-free, positive reinforcement techniques with our cats that we do with our dogs, ensuring every pet feels safe, happy, and comfortable during their stay.

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about our boarding services and how we can best care for your furry family members. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information or to discuss your pet’s specific needs. We take pride in offering a safe, comfortable, and enriching environment for all pets in our care. Additionally, we invite you to come for a tour at any time—we believe in being fully transparent and would be delighted to show you around our facility. We look forward to the opportunity to meet you and your pet family members!

Our promise to you:

We will work very hard every day to take care of your pets with the same exceptional care we offer our own pets.

We will never charge you extra to love and take care of your pet.  We don’t charge extra for snuggle time, walks outside, group playtime, individual playtime, medicating your pets or spending extra time with them because they are scared or worried. Our fees are all inclusive.  Dogs and cats need attention from people to be happy and healthy.   We will take care of all your pets’ needs, every day, while they stay with us.

We take the time to get to know your pet—and every other pet—so we can create safe, happy playgroups. We work hard to match dogs with similar personalities and energy levels to make sure everyone has a good time. If your pup isn’t into playing with other dogs, no worries! We’ll still give them lots of love, attention, and one-on-one play.  We’ll carefully monitor your pet while they’re outside enjoying our play yards to ensure all dogs are safe and having a positive, stress-free experience.

We inspect and observe each pet every day, making sure they’re happy, healthy, and enjoying their time with us. It doesn’t happen often, but if your pet becomes ill or injured, we will contact you and let you know our recommended plan of action.  We take pets to their own veterinarian whenever that is possible.  A pet’s own veterinarian knows his or her medical history and can provide better care.  If a pet’s own veterinarian is not available, we take our boarders to our supervising veterinarian, Veterinary Specialties at the Lake.  If it is after hours, we use Denver Animal Emergency Veterinary or Veterinary Referral of Hickory for emergency care. We stay in close touch with pet owners at all times and respect that you make all the decisions for your pet and to ensure your peace of mind.

Some things we don’t like and will never do:

We don’t like indoor/outdoor runs.  Dogs who board in indoor/outdoor runs are more stressed and less happy.  They never get the chance to interact with the other dogs in the kennel.  Dogs get the knowledge they need about each other by smelling and reading body language.  When they don’t interact, they are stressed because they’ve never gotten the information about the other dogs they need to be comfortable.  They see the other dogs but can’t get to them so they spend the bulk of their time trying to communicate and stressing.  Almost all dogs need to interact with people to be happy.  The care takers in kennels that use indoor/outdoor runs have limited interaction with their boarders which increases the dogs’ stress.

We don’t like Astroturf.  It heats up in the summer and causes discomfort and sometimes injuries to dogs’ paws.  As it gets hotter, it has the potential to cause even more injury. We believe dogs belong in big, grassy fields—where they can run free, keep an eye on squirrels like it’s their full-time job, and lounge in the shade of a tree like they’ve got not a care in the world.

We don’t like negative reinforcement or harsh tones of voice.  We do not force the pets in our care to do things.  Using negative reinforcement introduces fear into a dog’s life.  When you introduce fear into a dog’s life, you are potentially causing a whole host of behavioral issues.  We use only positive reinforcement techniques.  We have many clients who have dogs and cats that had behavior problems at other kennels and with other groomers.  Those dogs don’t have the same behavior issues with us because of our positive reinforcement techniques.

We don’t like folks who judge your dog or cat just because they’re not the most social, if they aren’t friendly to dogs and people, if they have fear, or if they are reactive. Every pet is different, and we believe they all deserve love, patience, and a place where they can just be themselves. We love every dog and cat no matter how they behave or how much fear they have.  Because we don’t blame them for their behavior issues, we are able to work with them to help extinguish the unwanted behaviors.  This helps lower the pet’s stress level and allows us to better connect with them and provide the care they need.

We don’t believe in nickel-and-diming you—or your dog. You won’t find surprise charges for playtime, walks, special meals, treats, or medication on your bill. Unlike some places that tack on fees for every wag and wiggle, we think all dogs deserve the same joyful, safe, tail-wagging experience—no matter what. Whether your pup needs a little extra TLC, a special diet, or just loves a good game of fetch, it’s all part of the stay. Because here, we treat your dog like our own—and we wouldn’t charge them for belly rubs either.

Vaccinations: To ensure the health and safety of all pets in our care, all pet vaccinations must be up-to-date for the entirety of their stay.  Vaccine records can be uploaded into Gingr or our staff can help you update them.  If, at any point during their stay, your pet’s vaccinations are not current, we will be unable to check them in for boarding.  If you need to update vaccinations, please reach out to your veterinarian far in advance of your reservation. For first-time vaccines, they must be administered at least 2 weeks before the stay for full immunity. 

Required Vaccines for Dogs: Rabies; Bordetella; Distemper/Parvo 

*We recommend discussing the canine influenza vaccine with your veterinarian, as we defer to their guidance regarding its necessity for your pet.

Required Vaccines for Cats: Rabies; Feline Distemper; Feline Leukemia

*For older pets, we can accept a titer blood test for all vaccines (except Rabies) in lieu of the vaccine record.  

*If you give the Bordetella vaccine yourself, we require the label from the bottle, purchase receipt, and the date it was given.

What to Bring: During your pet’s stay, they’ll be provided with:

Dogs: A cot bed, water bowls, and food bowls

Cats: A soft bed and/or hide bed, water bowls, food bowls, and a litter box with litter.

We ask that you bring your own food and medications (in the original bottle, if applicable), as well as any wet food, additives, or treats you’d like to send with your dog. We recommend bringing an appropriate amount of food for the duration of your stay. Feel free to send extra in case plans change, but please avoid sending an excessive amount, as it can be difficult to store. You may bring pre-packaged bags or a sealed plastic container of food. Additionally, you may bring toys, blankets, and beds—assuming your pet does not chew on them if left unattended. Remember, some pets will chew things when they are at a kennel, so it is a good idea not to bring expensive items.  Please avoid oversized beds, as they won’t fit in the washing machine. If you’d like us to provide a blanket for your pet, please let us know at drop-off.  It is helpful if you provide a list of all of the items that you are bringing so we can make sure we have them for you at pickup.

Drop-Off: For the safety of all animals, dogs should be leashed at all times in the parking lot, and collars or harnesses are both acceptable. We remove harnesses when they are in their run.  If you would it to remain on during their stay, please let us know at drop off.

Cats should be on a leash or in a carrier. 

Update Gingr: Please make sure your contact information and emergency contact details are up to date in Gingr. It’s really important that we’re able to reach you while your pet is staying with us—whether it’s just to check in or to discuss something about their care. If we can’t get in touch with you directly, we’ll reach out to your emergency contact, so keeping that info current helps us make sure your pet gets the best, most timely care possible. Thanks for helping us keep your furry family member safe, happy, and well cared for!

Pickup and Drop Off Times:

Weekdays: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM

Weekends: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM