Who wants to accommodate a pet somewhere during the summer vacation no longer has a chance. Animal boarding kennels throughout the Netherlands are completely full, according to a survey by NU.nl. “You have to book before Christmas.”
“We are full until the end of September and already in the autumn and Christmas holidays,” dozens of animal boarding kennels report. NU.nl surveyed more than fifty animal boarding kennels and hotels that accommodate pets during vacations or illness.
Not only dogs and cats, but also rabbits and birds are accommodated elsewhere during the summer vacation. “Since corona, this trend has become increasingly clear and demand continues to grow,” say spokespersons from, among others, Kattenpension Felis in Alkmaar, Dierenpension De Beekhof in Klarenbeek and Dierenhotel Dijkzicht in Wijk bij Duurstede.
“We are full, while the phone keeps ringing with requests whether there is still room,” is the overarching answer. Centers in the Randstad are also struggling with a significant increase in the number of requests. There is no more space in Rotterdam and The Hague, among others, while registrations continue to pour in.
The boarding kennels are not only full during the summer vacation. “It is striking that the demand for care continues to increase for weekends in the spring and summer, and in other holidays,” report, among others, Dierenpension Drachten and Chateau Animaux in Heeswijk. “More and more people are going away for weekends.”
More pets due to corona pandemic and aging
The crowding at the boarding kennels is partly due to the corona years. “Many people thoughtlessly took a dog or cat into their home during the pandemic and turned out not to be able to take good care of them,” says the National Animal Welfare Inspectorate. This also led to a doubling of the number of reports of neglected animals, according to recent figures.
The Dutch Animal Protection Society also points to aging. “Older people have more time and often take a pet. But there is also a chance that they will end up in the hospital or go on pension holidays longer. There are also more and more young people who are traveling longer and need to get rid of their pet.”
So there is more demand, while the number of boarding kennels has decreased. During the corona period, many providers stopped or went bankrupt, says Dierenpension de Boerdik in Oostwoud, among others. The Dutch Animal Protection Society endorses this. “It is a trend that there are fewer and fewer boarding kennels. Many are being closed down because owners are retiring. And no new ones are being established.”
You have to be there earlier and earlier if you want to secure a place for your pet. Many boarding kennels warn that you have to book before Christmas for vacations in the following year. Dierenpension A2 in Culemborg also already has waiting lists for ordinary weekdays and several boarding kennels apply a customer stop.
Luxury spaces more popular
But if people have found a place for their animal, they often opt for luxury. “We see a clear trend that people are increasingly considering their pets as full family members. This includes appropriate, professional care when they go on vacation,” says a spokesperson for the Kat Inn Kattenhotel in Rotterdam.
Dierenhotel de Papenheuvel in Limburg also sees this. “It is becoming more normal to have your pet professionally cared for if you cannot do so yourself due to, for example, vacation or medical reasons.”
This is reflected in the type of boarding kennels that are booked. Luxury private rooms fill up first, several shelters in Gelderland and Noord-Brabant see. Kattenhotel Twente reports: “Private suites for cats are increasingly popular. They are rented out non-stop with us throughout the year.”