Be Sure Fido's in Good Hands

If you plan to board your pet during the holidays, don’t wait until the last minute to find a kennel. Give yourself time to check the business out. Placing your pet in the wrong care could be costly or, even worse, harm your animal.

Complaints to the Better Business Bureau about kennels and boarding facilities have more than doubled in the past five years.

You can check kennels out at www.us.bbb.org or turn to the American Boarding Kennels Association ( www.abka.com), which has a pet service locator.

Here are some other recommendations from the BBB:

• Make sure the kennel is properly licensed.

• Visit the facility. Check for cleanliness and odors, and note the overall condition of the kennel and cages.

• If your pet is prone to running away, ask about steps the kennel has taken to make its facilities escape-proof.

• Ask about the feeding schedule, water accessibility and frequency of — or fees related to — exercise.

• Make sure the facility requires that all entering pets have proof of immunization, and ask about its policies regarding flea and tick control.

• Ask about the hours for drop-off and pickup and about fees charged for late pick-ups.

• Understand the billing policy and your financial responsibility if you cancel.

• Finally, ask what happens in a medical emergency and what financial responsibility the kennel accepts if your pet is injured while there. — McClatchy Newspapers