A day at the dog daycare centre keeps the vet away
At the end of 2019, with all the confusion of the Covid episode, I decided I should save some cash. This meant I had to downsize from a house on the coast with a garden for my pets to run around all day, to an apartment in the centre of the capital. No more garden for my furry ones!
With so much going on at work, I didn’t notice for a while the effect this had on my pets. They were so used to running outdoors whenever they wanted. They could play all day in the sun, snooze in the fresh grass, jump around and be happy. Cats and dogs, they were all healthy and happy.
Since I work from home, I was very happy with this arrangement because it meant I just had to open the window to let them out to the garden, and I could concentrate on getting the work done. No long walks needed. They got all the exercise and sun rays to be happy and healthy.
But after a year in the city apartment, I noticed a drastic change. When my 14 year-old boy Mondego died in August 2021, I started paying more attention to my furries. For a while, I noticed their confused state. They missed him. The cats and the dogs would often head to that corner in the living room where his bed was and they would just stare at me. I knew they were confused.
But, as time passed, I noticed other little things. Nikki, my 17 year-old, began hiding away. She was no longer in the living room when we were there. Instead, I’d find her alone in the veranda. She spent hours alone at the veranda near my plants staring at nothing in particular. And Mia, too, seemed different. She never leaves my side. As soon as I make a move, she’s there. Always in the hope we can head downstairs for a walk. I also noticed that she’s become more aggressive towards new dogs. This was new and scary.
That’s where it hit me – my pets missed the freedom of running around the garden. I am a mother of plenty of furries and a foster of plenty of others. Dogs and cats. My home has always been a safe-house for homeless animals. And the house pets have always welcomed newcomers. There has never been a fight. Not even a peeve. Why? Because they had the garden to let off steam all day.
So, I decided to invest some of my measly savings in a weekly trip to the dog daycare. I get my furries picked up early in the morning, and they are driven back at the end of the day. They spend the day running around and socializing with fellow pets. They are fed and groomed. And they arrive home exhausted, but happy. So happy that I now invest in Tuesday and Friday trips for them to the dog daycare centre.
I quickly noticed a change in them. Nikki has gone back to her old self, content to lie with us on the sofa. And Mia is not only losing weight again, but she is much friendlier with dogs she meets on the street, which takes a huge weight off my shoulders.
I am now a true believer in dog daycare. It makes perfect sense. All that running around socializing with other dogs is a huge advantage for every dog. The younger ones learn from the older dogs. And all that bitey-face they do is so enriching for all of them.
My dogs are so much healthier, happier and more sociable too. And, although it is an added expense each week, I have had less healthcare issues with my pets, meaning I am saving on vet care. They have shiny fur, great teeth and are, despite their age, healthy as can be. No joint issues. No heart issues. Nothing that senior dogs cooped up in apartments all day end up suffering from.
Oh, and before you ask, yes, there are cat daycare centres too, offering a safe space for your cats to run around and socialize with other cats. They are not as common. But, soon, you will find a host of pet daycare centres on our directory. We open in late May 2023. So stay tuned, because it’s an expense that is worth every penny.
There’s also an added bonus – if you book a day at your dog daycare centre via our KindBunch directory, you will receive €1 (approximately $1) to donate to any animal rescue in our appeals directory. This is money that goes towards supporting abused, sick and homeless animals.
So, learn more about KindBunch and join us. We are a privately-run not-for-profit project building a community of animal lovers from the 4 corners working together to support the work of animal rescues around the world. We open in May 2023.
