To ensure animal and staff safety, we do recognize a list of requirements needed in order to board with us. Along with this, we also require an intake assessment which you can read more about on this page. 

REQUIREMENTS

• We are unable to accommodate intact male dogs over the age of 1 year. There are no exceptions to this rule. 
  

  

• We can accommodate dogs that prefer not to be around other dogs, but we are limited to 2 at any time. 
• Before your dog stays with us we will need to see an updated vaccination record for their Bordetella (kennel cough), DHPP (distemper), and Rabies vaccinations.  
• Canine Influenza vaccination is recommended, but not required
• Flea prevention is recommended, but not required.
• We require an intake assessment for all new dogs.

INTAKE ASSESSMENT

Not every pet is a good fit for Inavale. We are a social kennel that encourages healthy and positive interactions between our animals. Some pets are not suited for this type of care as they may be avoidant of others, dog aggressive, ignorant of boundaries (don’t listen when another dog says “no”), or handler aggressive. They may just not kennel well, despite being very well-behaved. 

This is why our intake assessment is required. 

Our assessment allows us to feel out your pets’ personality and comfort levels while at the kennel, and ultimately decide if they’re a good fit or not. This overall is for pet safety and comfort as well as kennel technician safety. 

You cannot board with us if you have not completed an intake assessment. We require an intake session at least two weeks prior to your preferred boarding or day care date. 

Intake assessments are free Monday – Sunday.

The Process: 

Call or email us at least two weeks in advance of your intended boarding date stating your name, your intended pet(s) to stay, and that you will need an intake assessment. Include any information about past boardings/daycare centers if applicable. Please keep in mind we cannot accept any intact male dogs over the age of 1 year. 

We will ask you some basic information about your pet(s) including species, breed, age, and general personality around others; then we’ll schedule you for an intake assessment. 

Scheduling

Intakes are available Monday-Friday for free, Saturday and Sunday for $10. 

• Drop Off Time: 9:00 – 10:00 A.M. 
• Pick Up Time: 1:00 P.M. 
• Approx. intake duration: 4 hours. 

What Should You Expect?

We are an enthusiastic crew passionate about animal care, and we welcome new faces at the kennel!

We’ll expect you to fill out an intake assessment form either before or during the intake assessment. You can download one here or fill one out when dropping off your pet(s). This includes a health waiver and emergency contact information. 

When you come to pick up your animal(s) for the day, we’ll debrief you on how they did. Any good behaviors we observed, and any ones that could give us cause for concern. From there, we can determine if they can board with us and, if so, when. 

What Your Dog Will Expect 

• A one mile forest walk through the property.
• Potential social time with others in an appropriate play group. 
• A little time in a run to ensure they are comfortable being kenneled.
• Lots of attention, belly rubs, scritches, and treats. 

During this time, we’ll be taking notes on behavior, interactions, preferred foods, and more to see if they’ll be a good fit! 

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

• We reserve the right to turn away any dog that we feel is either a danger to us or to themselves. Additionally, if a dog is excessively nervous, noisy, or all around unhappy being here, we will suggest alternatives. 
  

  

• We may require slightly nervous or uncertain dogs to come back for some additional daycare before they board to ensure that they are/become more comfortable here.
• Some dogs may become less and less happy here as their stay goes on, so even though they pass their intake, we may not be a good fit for them.
• We are constantly assessing dogs and their well being long after their intake as dogs may change throughout time.