Ensuring peace of mind with a safe, caring, and medically-supervised stay for your companion.
Leaving town shouldn’t mean losing sleep over the pet you’re leaving behind. Whether it’s a weekend getaway to the Keys or a longer trip back up north to visit family, the question is always the same: who’s going to take care of them the way you would? For families in Oakland Park, that answer has stayed the same for almost four decades.
At Oakland Park Animal Hospital, boarding isn’t handed off to a separate kennel service with no medical background. Our team has cared for this community’s pets since 1987, and that same familiar staff is who greets your dog or cat when you drop them off for their stay. We’re a family of animal lovers first, and that shows in the way we treat every pet who comes through our doors, whether they’re here for a wellness exam or a few nights while you’re away. Your pet is our pet, and we treat their comfort and safety the same way we’d want ours treated.
Boarding a pet at a facility with no veterinary oversight means hoping nothing goes wrong while you’re unreachable. Boarding with us means your pet stays somewhere that already knows their history, their temperament, and any conditions that need watching. If Fluffy has a sensitive stomach or Max gets anxious around new dogs, we already know that, because we’re the ones who’ve been examining them all along.
This matters more than most pet owners realize. According to Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, being away from home and adjusting to an unfamiliar environment can affect even the most easygoing pets, sometimes disrupting appetite, digestion, and behavior for the first day or so. Having a medical team on-site who can recognize the difference between normal adjustment and something that needs attention is not a small thing. It’s the difference between guessing and knowing.
We know pets do better when their environment feels calm and predictable. Cats and dogs are housed separately, and our team keeps a close eye on feeding schedules, comfort, and behavior throughout each pet’s stay. If your pet has a favorite blanket or toy that smells like home, bring it along. Small, familiar comforts go a long way toward easing the adjustment.
We also make it easy to combine services during a boarding stay. If your pet is due for a wellness exam, vaccination, or a dental cleaning, we can often take care of it while they’re already here, saving you an extra trip later. Many long-time clients appreciate this kind of efficiency, especially those who’ve trusted us across several pets and multiple generations of their own family.
A few things help your pet’s boarding stay go smoothly. Vaccination records should be current and on file, because a group setting means a higher chance of exposure to illness if pets aren’t protected. If your pet takes medication, let our team know the dosage and schedule so nothing gets missed. And if your pet is elderly, managing a health condition, or prone to anxiety, it’s worth a quick conversation with us beforehand so we can plan accordingly.
Our Stay Well Pet Plan members already know us well, because routine visits and boarding go hand in hand for a lot of families who travel throughout the year. If you’re not yet enrolled, ask our team about how the plan works and what it can save you on the visits your pet needs anyway.
Deciding where to board a pet often comes down to more than trust. Cost matters too, especially for families managing multiple pets or planning a longer trip. We believe pricing should be something you understand up front, not something you find out about at pickup.
That is why we talk openly about the cost of a boarding stay before you commit. If your pet needs additional services while boarding, like a wellness exam or vaccination, we walk you through what that adds to the total so there are no surprises at pickup. You should never have to choose between your travel plans and knowing your pet is cared for, and our team is happy to answer any pricing questions before you leave them in our hands.
Our practice has been part of this neighborhood since 1987, run by Dr. Ratnoff and a team that treats this work as more than a job. We’re not a corporate chain cycling through unfamiliar faces. We’re the same team your neighbors have relied on for years, and in some cases, across five dogs from the same family. That kind of trust isn’t built overnight, and it’s not something we take lightly.
If you’re planning a trip and need a place where your pet will be genuinely cared for, not just kept, we’d love to help. Feel free to explore our full range of veterinary services or learn more about our team before your pet’s stay. When you’re ready, reach out to schedule a boarding consultation and see why so many Oakland Park families trust us with the pets they love most.
Schedule a visit with our compassionate team and let’s partner in your pet’s lifelong well-being.
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