Key takeaways

• Dogs make up 81.22% of the global pet boarding market, so most facilities are built around dogs. Cat owners should confirm a quiet, separate cattery before booking (Grand View Research, 2024).
• Online marketplaces now account for 59.42% of pet boarding bookings, but a convenient booking screen is no substitute for an in-person visit (Mordor Intelligence, 2025).
• Reputable boarding facilities require up-to-date vaccinations, including Bordetella for dogs, to protect every pet on site (AVMA).
• Judge a facility on five things: hygiene, staff experience, supervision ratios, medical policies and how well it matches your individual pet.
• Always tour the kennels and cattery yourself and ask who covers overnight emergencies before you leave your pet.

The right pet boarding facility is clean, properly staffed, strict about vaccinations and happy to show you around before you book. If a place hesitates to let you see the kennels, keep looking. Choosing pet boarding is one of the more stressful jobs a pet parent faces, usually under a deadline, with a holiday booked and a nervous dog or cat watching you pack. This guide walks you through exactly what to check so you can hand over the lead with a settled stomach.

Demand is real, and growing. The global pet boarding market was valued at USD 8.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 14.0 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research, 2024). More facilities means more choice, and more reason to compare carefully.

Safety and hygiene: where choosing pet boarding starts

Smell tells you most of what you need to know. Walk in and the air should be fresh, the floors dry and the kennels free of waste, not masked by air freshener. A clean facility is the single clearest signal that daily routines are being followed when no visitors are watching.

Look past the lobby. Ask to see the actual sleeping areas, the exercise yards and the food prep space. In Dubai's climate, air conditioning and ventilation are not luxuries, they are welfare essentials, so confirm every indoor area is properly cooled, especially in the summer months when heat stress is a genuine risk.

Run through this quick hygiene checklist on your visit:

• Kennels and runs that are dry, odour-free and recently cleaned
• Separate, quiet housing for cats away from barking dogs
• Fresh water in every enclosure and clean food bowls
• Secure fencing, latched gates and no obvious escape gaps
• Climate control in all animal areas, not just the office

A facility that passes the nose test and the eye test has usually earned your short list. Pet Station Group, for example, leans hard on a super-clean standard and a cat-friendly pet hotel, which is exactly the kind of setup nervous cat owners should be hunting for.

How much do staff experience and supervision ratios matter?

They matter more than the building. A spotless kennel supervised by one overstretched person is riskier than a modest facility with enough trained hands to watch every animal. Experienced staff spot the early signs of stress, illness or a scuffle before they become emergencies.

Ask direct questions. How many animals is each staff member responsible for? Is anyone on site overnight, or does the building sit empty until morning? What training do the handlers have, and is there a vet on call? A vet-owned operation has a built-in advantage here, because clinical judgement sits inside the business rather than a phone call away.

Supervision is where boarding and daycare overlap. If your dog will join group play, the same ratio question applies to the play yard. Healthy supervised play means small, well-matched groups and a handler who steps in early, which is a good benchmark for any boarding facility that offers daytime activity.

When you ask about ratios, watch how the staff respond. Confident, specific answers suggest a team that thinks about this daily. Vague reassurance is a flag.

Why do vaccination and medical policies tell you so much?

A strict vaccination policy protects your pet, so a facility that waves you through without checking records is protecting no one. Reputable boarding, daycare and grooming services require up-to-date vaccinations, including Bordetella for dogs that board or enter a kennel, to keep every animal safe (AVMA). If admission is casual about this, assume the hygiene is casual too.

Dig into the medical side before you commit. The right facility will ask questions as searching as yours:

• Proof of current vaccinations required at or before drop-off
• A clear process for storing and giving medication on schedule
• A named vet or in-house clinic for emergencies
• Written consent for treatment and a cost cap you agree in advance
• Isolation space for any animal that falls ill during a stay

Bring your records to drop-off and expect to show them. If your pet takes daily medication, confirm who administers it and how doses are logged. Not sure whether a cough or change in appetite needs attention before boarding? Have your vet check anything that feels off before travel day, since a healthy pet settles far more easily into a new place.

How should you use reviews, and why visit in person?

Reviews point you in the right direction, but your own visit makes the decision. Online marketplaces now account for 59.42% of pet boarding bookings, which means more owners are choosing a facility from a screen without ever walking through the door (Mordor Intelligence, 2025). Convenience is wonderful. It is also no substitute for seeing where your pet will sleep.

Read reviews with a careful eye. Look for recent ones, patterns rather than single rants, and specifics about cleanliness, communication and how the staff handled a problem. A facility that replies to criticism calmly and fixes issues tells you more than a wall of five-star ratings.

Then book a visit. Walk the kennels, meet the people, and notice whether the resident animals look relaxed or frantic. Ask about daily routines, feeding, exercise and how they settle a new arrival. If you want to prepare your dog for the stay itself, our tips on how to prepare your dog for boarding stress-free pair neatly with a pre-booking tour.

How do you match the facility to your own pet?

The best facility on paper can still be wrong for your animal. Dogs make up 81.22% of the pet boarding market, so most kennels are built with dogs in mind and cats can be an afterthought (Grand View Research, 2024). Choosing pet boarding well means matching the place to the pet in front of you, not the average pet.

Think about your animal honestly:

1. Species and temperament. A shy cat needs a quiet cattery; a boisterous young dog may thrive with supervised group play.
2. Age and health. Seniors, puppies and pets on medication need closer monitoring and easy vet access.
3. Social needs. Some dogs love company, others want calm and space. Be honest about which yours is.
4. Stay length. A weekend away and a three-week holiday call for different levels of enrichment and routine.
5. Special requirements. Prescription diets, mobility issues or anxiety all shape the right choice.

Cat owners deserve particular care, since a dog-first facility rarely suits a nervous feline. Our dedicated guide to cat boarding in Dubai covers what a genuinely cat-friendly stay looks like. Whatever you decide, the goal is a facility that treats your pet as an individual, not a booking slot.

A calm next step

Make a shortlist of two or three facilities this week, call to arrange visits, and bring your vaccination records and a short list of questions to each one. The place that welcomes your questions, shows you the real kennels and matches its care to your pet is the one worth booking. If that sounds like what you want, Pet Station Group offers vet-owned boarding with a cat-friendly pet hotel and 100% instant online booking, so you can reserve a spot the moment your visit reassures you.

Frequently asked questions

What should I look for when choosing a pet boarding facility?

Check hygiene and smell, ask about staff experience and supervision ratios, confirm vaccination and medical policies, read recent reviews and tour the actual kennels before booking. The facility should match your pet's size, temperament and health needs.

Do pet boarding facilities in Dubai require vaccinations?

Yes. Reputable boarding facilities require proof of up-to-date vaccinations before admission, including Bordetella (kennel cough) for dogs, to protect every animal on site. Bring your pet's vaccination records to drop-off and expect to show them.

Is boarding safe for a nervous cat?

It can be, provided the facility offers a separate, quiet cattery away from barking dogs. Cats stress easily, so look for individual condos, calm handling and a cat-friendly layout rather than a shared space with dogs.

How far in advance should I book pet boarding in Dubai?

Book well ahead for school holidays, Eid and summer, when demand peaks and spaces fill fast. Early booking also gives you time to tour the facility, complete paperwork and arrange a trial day if your pet has never boarded before.

Should I visit a boarding facility before booking?

Always. A visit lets you see the real kennels, smell the air, meet the staff and judge supervision for yourself. Reviews and photos help, but nothing replaces walking the space where your pet will actually stay.