Kenneling causes significant stress in many companion animals, and pre-boarding preparation, facility selection, and care protocols can substantially reduce welfare impacts.
Boarding stress is a real welfare concern that owners often underestimate, partly because kennels appear clean and adequate and partly because dogs reunite with apparent joy that owners interpret as evidence the stay was fine. In reality, the joy of reunion does not preclude significant stress during the stay. Dogs with prior separation anxiety, unfamiliarity with the facility, or poor social skills with unfamiliar dogs are at particular risk. Welfare-conscious boarding prepares dogs with trial visits, brings familiar bedding and toys, selects facilities that provide regular enrichment and socialization, and considers home-based care for the most vulnerable animals. For cats, boarding in calm catteries away from dog noise dramatically reduces stress compared to mixed-species facilities.