Dog boarding on Long Island can be luxurious at these pet hotels
Pet care technician Debbie Zumaeta with furry guests in the outdoor play area at K9 Luxury Pet Hotel in Westbury. Credit: Danielle Silverman
If you think you can’t take a winter vacation because there’s no place to leave your pet, think again. Leaving your dog for the night at a 5-star pet hotel with chandeliers in the lobby and a flat-screen TV playing pet-friendly shows is more attainable than you'd think on Long Island.
This holiday season, there’s no need to feel trapped at home. Pet accommodations in Nassau and Suffolk range from a Ritz Carlton version of a pet resort to a charming farmhouse to a lively pet center. Perhaps the best part: Their boarding options aren't limited to dogs. Find a sitter for your cat, hamster or bird, too.
At the new K-9 Resorts Pet Hotel in Westbury, chandeliers hang from the lobby ceiling and sconces light the hallway. Here, are three different types of accommodations: The most luxurious are 9x9 enclosed rooms with silver-trimmed glass doors, hammock-style beds, and flat-screen TV's. Owner Glenn Vogelman says Dog TV, a cable TV network for dogs, plans all day. “It literally shows the colors and shapes that are most appealing to dogs," he explains. "The programs can be calming or stimulating." Other accommodations vary, and may not include private TV access.
The resort has a variety of enormous indoor and outdoor play areas designed for small dogs, large dogs and dogs that prefer to play privately with a staff member. Appropriate playgroups are determined in advance.
Stephanie Yules, of East Meadow, often boards her two dogs at the hotel. She says with a smile, “They treat the dogs as if they’re their own. They play with them, they give them cuddle time, it’s really nice. I’m a worrier, and I never have to worry.”
Weekly, special events enhance the schedule including dog birthday “pawties,” football parties every Sunday, a fashion show when dogs walk down a red carpet, and a dog “secret Santa” game during the holidays.
Yules adds, “Once they had a cartoonist come in and draw each dog separately. My two dogs were drawn together, and when I picked them up it was like a kid going to day care and coming home with an art project.”
Each day, staff members take videos and photos of the dogs and post them on social media. That way, families can always see their pets are smiling.
BOARDING BUZZ: 1587 Stewart Ave.; 516-219-9466; k9resorts.com; Pricing: Luxury Room, $119 per night, Executive Suite, $89 per night, Entry Level Room, $69 per night.
The Best In Show Pet Resort in Mineola, a luxury hotel for dogs and cats, specializes in an a la carte daily program.
"We have different activity packages, so each dog or cat’s day can vary a little bit. We try to customize every pet’s stay and create a homelike environment," says general manager Jennifer Nucci.
High-end rooms for dogs are called luxury suites. Each has a plexiglass sliding door, ceiling fan, night light for bedtime, raised canvas cot or bed with memory foam and a Shepa blanket. Suites also come with flat-screen TVs.
During the day, play groups are offered in three indoor play areas. Appropriate groups for all dogs are selected in advance. Alternatively, dogs can play individually with staff members. They can sign up for one-on-one cuddle buddy time, play games with puzzle toys, have a puppy Popsicle, or just snuggle. Dogs can also enjoy going for a walk three or four times a day. There’s more …
Pampering and grooming services are relaxing a la carte activities. A bath with a massage or a facial are favorites. Creative special events are always on the calendar for all guests. This season, there will be dog holiday photo time, and a Thanksgiving Gobble Gala (each dog gets a toy turkey leg and a special Thanksgiving meal topping). On Christmas morning, dogs open their own stockings filled with treats and toys.
Cat hotel guests live in a separate section of the building. Each enclosure comes with a scratch pad, bed, and toys. Some enclosures have cat condos (two levels for climbing) or cat town houses (four levels). Cat owners can also sign their pets up for “cat and staff cuddle and brush time.”
Staff members sleep in the hotel overnight and check on all cats and dogs regularly to be sure they’re safe and snoring away.
BOARDING BUZZ: 244 Herricks Rd., Mineola; 516-368-0877; bestinshowpetresort.com; pricing based on a la carte packages.
The North Shore Animal Center in Northport is a charming, old-style farmhouse partially converted into a vacation home for dogs, cats, and large animals. Resident horses and goats are on the farm as well. The center is owned and operated by three generations of veterinarians. Family members still live on the premises, so the animal guests feel as if they’re visiting a friendly home.
Dogs have exciting opportunities to go for long walks along the horse trail and romp in the pasture. Dogs, while supervised, can also meet and greet goats and horses on the farm. After the sun sets, if dogs are used to sleeping with a human, a regular bedroom is offered where the dog can sleep beside a staff member all night long.
Since the center is part of a farm, goats, pigs, llamas and sheep are also welcome guests. There’s even a special room for senior cats and dogs who just want peace and quiet.
BOARDING BUZZ: 264 Vernon Valley Rd., Northport; 631-754-0566; northshoreanimalcenter.com; Pricing varies depending on animal and boarding needs.
If you think you can’t take a winter vacation because there’s no place to leave your pet, think again. Leaving your dog for the night at a 5-star pet hotel with chandeliers in the lobby and a flat-screen TV playing pet-friendly shows is more attainable than you'd think on Long Island.
This holiday season, there’s no need to feel trapped at home. Pet accommodations in Nassau and Suffolk range from a Ritz Carlton version of a pet resort to a charming farmhouse to a lively pet center. Perhaps the best part: Their boarding options aren't limited to dogs. Find a sitter for your cat, hamster or bird, too.
A RESORT FOR DOGS
At the new K-9 Resorts Pet Hotel in Westbury, chandeliers hang from the lobby ceiling and sconces light the hallway. Here, are three different types of accommodations: The most luxurious are 9x9 enclosed rooms with silver-trimmed glass doors, hammock-style beds, and flat-screen TV's. Owner Glenn Vogelman says Dog TV, a cable TV network for dogs, plans all day. “It literally shows the colors and shapes that are most appealing to dogs," he explains. "The programs can be calming or stimulating." Other accommodations vary, and may not include private TV access.
The resort has a variety of enormous indoor and outdoor play areas designed for small dogs, large dogs and dogs that prefer to play privately with a staff member. Appropriate playgroups are determined in advance.
Stephanie Yules, of East Meadow, often boards her two dogs at the hotel. She says with a smile, “They treat the dogs as if they’re their own. They play with them, they give them cuddle time, it’s really nice. I’m a worrier, and I never have to worry.”
Weekly, special events enhance the schedule including dog birthday “pawties,” football parties every Sunday, a fashion show when dogs walk down a red carpet, and a dog “secret Santa” game during the holidays.
Yules adds, “Once they had a cartoonist come in and draw each dog separately. My two dogs were drawn together, and when I picked them up it was like a kid going to day care and coming home with an art project.”
Each day, staff members take videos and photos of the dogs and post them on social media. That way, families can always see their pets are smiling.
BOARDING BUZZ: 1587 Stewart Ave.; 516-219-9466; k9resorts.com; Pricing: Luxury Room, $119 per night, Executive Suite, $89 per night, Entry Level Room, $69 per night.
UPSCALE DAY CARE
A dog named Mila in a luxury suite with a flatscreen TV at Best In Show Pet Resort in Mineola. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
The Best In Show Pet Resort in Mineola, a luxury hotel for dogs and cats, specializes in an a la carte daily program.
"We have different activity packages, so each dog or cat’s day can vary a little bit. We try to customize every pet’s stay and create a homelike environment," says general manager Jennifer Nucci.
High-end rooms for dogs are called luxury suites. Each has a plexiglass sliding door, ceiling fan, night light for bedtime, raised canvas cot or bed with memory foam and a Shepa blanket. Suites also come with flat-screen TVs.
During the day, play groups are offered in three indoor play areas. Appropriate groups for all dogs are selected in advance. Alternatively, dogs can play individually with staff members. They can sign up for one-on-one cuddle buddy time, play games with puzzle toys, have a puppy Popsicle, or just snuggle. Dogs can also enjoy going for a walk three or four times a day. There’s more …
Pampering and grooming services are relaxing a la carte activities. A bath with a massage or a facial are favorites. Creative special events are always on the calendar for all guests. This season, there will be dog holiday photo time, and a Thanksgiving Gobble Gala (each dog gets a toy turkey leg and a special Thanksgiving meal topping). On Christmas morning, dogs open their own stockings filled with treats and toys.
Cat hotel guests live in a separate section of the building. Each enclosure comes with a scratch pad, bed, and toys. Some enclosures have cat condos (two levels for climbing) or cat town houses (four levels). Cat owners can also sign their pets up for “cat and staff cuddle and brush time.”
Staff members sleep in the hotel overnight and check on all cats and dogs regularly to be sure they’re safe and snoring away.
BOARDING BUZZ: 244 Herricks Rd., Mineola; 516-368-0877; bestinshowpetresort.com; pricing based on a la carte packages.
OLD-WORLD FARMHOUSE
The North Shore Animal Center in Northport is a charming, old-style farmhouse partially converted into a vacation home for dogs, cats, and large animals. Resident horses and goats are on the farm as well. The center is owned and operated by three generations of veterinarians. Family members still live on the premises, so the animal guests feel as if they’re visiting a friendly home.
Dogs have exciting opportunities to go for long walks along the horse trail and romp in the pasture. Dogs, while supervised, can also meet and greet goats and horses on the farm. After the sun sets, if dogs are used to sleeping with a human, a regular bedroom is offered where the dog can sleep beside a staff member all night long.
Since the center is part of a farm, goats, pigs, llamas and sheep are also welcome guests. There’s even a special room for senior cats and dogs who just want peace and quiet.
BOARDING BUZZ: 264 Vernon Valley Rd., Northport; 631-754-0566; northshoreanimalcenter.com; Pricing varies depending on animal and boarding needs.
FOR EXOTIC PETS
If your beloved pet isn't exactly ordinary, there are boarding options on Long Island for them, too.
When it comes to boarding at Jungle Bob’s Reptile World in Selden, lizards, bearded dragons, snakes, turtles, iguanas, frogs, and others are most welcome. “We take in anything in the coldblooded range basically,” says Tyle Smith, store manager. “We’re a retail store, but we made an addition and dedicated it to boarding rooms … We try to accommodate everyone.” Holidays are busier times when Smith can have 10-20 guests.
Since Jungle Bob’s is a store, there are great opportunities for the guests to try new foods. Smith explains, “We try to see that the pet guests eat their vegetables. Some pets won’t eat their veggies at home, but we encourage it here.”
In the boarding section, reptiles are in tanks, but divided in ways so they won’t see each other and become stressed or hostile.
BOARDING BUZZ: 984 Middle Country Rd.; 631-737-6474; junglebobsreptileworld.com; Pricing: Varies with tank size and length of stay. Beginning rates: $10 per night for a smaller tank, $25 for a bigger tank.
At BTJ’s Jungle Pet Shop in West Islip, pets including but not limited to exotic birds, bunnies, chinchillas, degus, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, reptiles, and tarantulas have a place to stay while their families are away.
Owner Bill Niehoff understands the need when he says, “It’s stressful for people when they want to go away. They say who will take care of my guinea pig? Who will watch my parrot? A lot of times, people don’t leave home. If they know they can bring their pets here, it can be a problem solver.”
There’s room for everyone. The bird section in the store is in the sales area, but not too close to the public. That way, bird guests can still hear and see other birds. An area in the back of the shop has a boarding section for small mammals and reptiles. Niehoff explains, “We give everyone fresh vegetables and fruit, pellets, all different kinds of live food for the reptiles, and follow specific restricted diets.” Cages are cleaned on a regular basis and the staff members observe or take out the animals each day to be sure they’re healthy and well. Grooming services are also offered to the guests while on a vacation visit.
BOARDING BUZZ: 144 Sunrise Hwy.; 631-587-8191; btjjungle.com. Pricing varies per animal.
