The Cozy Canine, Fairfield, PA
One of our favorite places for dog care, we discovered The Cozy Canine while staying in Gettysburg during Super Storm Sandy in 2012. We had Topper about six months when we lost power for more than a week due to Super Storm Sandy. We found a dog-friendly hotel in Gettysburg; however, since we were there so long, we asked for a reference for a local doggy day care so Topper could get some exercise. One of the hotel staff recommended The Cozy Canine, which is about a 15-minute drive from Gettysburg. It is a great place–the dogs spend most of the day playing outside and the facility is clean and well-managed. We ended up taking him back nearly every day until we drove home on November 5th, when power had been restored to our neighborhood. (While in Gettysburg, we had been keeping in touch with some of our neighbors who owned generators.) It is a great value–the outdoor playtime is included in the boarding price. Many kennels charge extra for outdoor playtime.
The Pooch Hotel, Newton, MA
We got our second dog, Daisy, a few weeks after our son started college in Boston. A few months later, we got our E-trek, so we could take the dogs with us on our trips. Although Topper and Daisy have accompanied us into Boston, it is easier, and more fun for them, if we drop them off for some playtime. The Pooch Hotel, which is affiliated with Petco, is just west of Boston, in Newton, MA. You can actually see it from the Mass Pike! One thing we really like about the Pooch Hotel, is that they allow you to pick-up your dogs anytime. There is a $15 fee for pick-ups after 7:00 PM, although they don’t seem to enforce it. They separate the dogs by size, but since Topper is so gentle (he has never even growled), he is allowed with the small dogs so he can protect Daisy. After a day of playtime, they are exhausted and sleep the entire 5-hour ride home!