Boarding Policies

We strive to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and parasites, therefore all hospitalized and boarded animals must be current on all vaccinations and free of internal and external parasites.

New Clients and Existing Clients

For your pet to be boarded with us they must be a client of Cotati Small Animal Hospital and be current on their annual exam. If they are a new patient that has not yet been seen or an existing patient that is overdue for their annual then the exam must be completed BEFORE their first day of boarding. 

Vaccinations

 We require all pets to be up-to-date on the core vaccines, and if they have been treated at a different hospital it is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that proof of current vaccination status is on file with the us at the time of admission. If you are an existing client and the annual exam is current we are able to administer their vaccines upon their arrival. New clients must be current on vaccinations with proof before arrival.

Our required boarding vaccines are as follows:

Dogs: Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella, and Flu.

Cats: Rabies, and FVRCP.

You can read more about the vaccines and see prices on our vaccination services page.

External/Internal Parasites

For the safety of other patients and our staff, all pets must be free of parasites, including fleas and ticks. We require that all pets have been recently and correctly treated with a preventative and any animals with fleas at the time of boarding will be treated at the owner’s expense.  All dogs that are not currently on a monthly heartworm preventive may be subject to testing for heartworms as well as a fecal examination for intestinal parasites, done at the owners expense, per doctors recommendation. 

Personal Belongings 

We understand that leaving personal belongings like toys, bedding, blankets, etc. can help make your pet's stay feel more like home. However we ask that you not bring personal belonging due to the fact we stock of all necessary items for use while they are here. If the owner does insist however, we cannot be held responsible for any items becoming soiled, broken or lost. If you have questions about this policy, please discuss with the kennel assistant during admittance.

Boarder Pick Up

Pets who are boarding with us must be picked up during business hours. There is no boarder pick-up after hours or on major holidays. There is no boarder pick up on the Saturdays that we are closed or on Sunday. If you do not pick up before the weekend you will be required to wait until our next open business day and you will be charged accordingly. If your plans change and you wish to change your pick up date, contact us during business hours so we can update our staff!

Medication Administration Policy

If your pet is currently on medication, please inform the receptionist or our kennel staff. Charges for administering medications are based on the frequency of dosages. 

Aggressive Behavior 

 On occasion, there are cases that the stress of boarding and the new environment can cause a pet to develop aggressive behavior. If a pet becomes a danger to itself or the staff, we reserve the right to medicate them as we deem necessary. If it is an extreme case, you will be notified to pick them up; and they will be left alone aside from feeding and kennel cleaning until they leave. If your pet has acted aggressive before and you still wish to board please let our kennel assistant know during admittance so we can act accordingly. 

Medical Illness Policy

 Because we are a Veterinary Hospital, our patients have the advantages of readily available medical attention while they are boarding. If your pet requires medical attention, we will notify you via your emergency contact number. If we are unable to contact you, your pet will be treated, as we deem necessary, at normal hospital fees. 

Pet Abandonment 

Please notify us if there is any change of plans in your pet’s scheduled release date. If you do not notify us of a change in your pet’s departure date and we do not hear from you or a previously authorized persons for a period of 14 days after your pet’s scheduled release date, the law (Civil Code Section 1834.5) and hospital will consider your pet abandoned. We will make every reasonable attempt to contact you. Please be advised that the pet owner will be responsible for the fees that accrued during their stay; which includes food, shelter and medical treatment as well as any other fees or legal services incurred by the hospital as a result of the abandonment.  Abandoned pets will be handed over to the city Animal Control Service, animal rescue, or animal shelter. 

Developed Medical Conditions

We take care of our patients like they are our own, and we strive to create environments that are safe, clean, and enjoyable. But even in spite of our efforts, there is always a risk that pets may develop medical or behavioral problems which can include, but is not limited to: vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, or even scratching or biting their skin. These can conditions can develop for a number of different reasons from environmental to dietary changes or stress. We do our best to prevent these problems and if needed, we treat our guests swiftly. However, we ask that you understand these conditions can develop despite our best efforts and if they do occur that you understand that the hospital is not financially responsible for them emerging.