Is pet boarding in a private home legal? archived

Maybe @Gabbie knows (?)

I would contact the town about whether it's legal to provide this service from a home. Then, if a license or permit is required, I would ask the sitter to show you the license before you leave your pet with them. That's where I would start.

Keep hearing radio ads for dogvacay.com. Sounds like airbnb for dogs Never used but the ads mention licensed sitters in their own homes.

My ex-pet sitter used to advertise her services on DogVacay.com as well as the people in Clifton where the dogs died. They don't check for licenses etc. I was told also that their reviews are not legit.

I already know that my home town does not allowed this type of business in private homes and neither Clifton NJ. I'm not sure about the regulations, is the town, county o state who regulates this?

I would check with the town where the owner of the dog-sitter lives first. I would also get recos from St. Hubert's in Madison, other doggie-daycare facilities.

I know my kennel where I board my dogs is definitely licensed. It is expensive but it is worth the peace of mind.

Thanks for the reference @sac! In the state of New Jersey, pet boarding in a private home is technically not allowed. I can happily tell you though, that Doggone Farm is legal!! We have spent a lot of money and time, making this happen, and we are one of the only businesses with actual permission to keep dogs in their personal home.

In-home dog boarding is a new industry and the current state regulations (which don't expire until 2021) come solely under the category of Kennel, something we clearly are not! Unfortunately, the regulations cannot be amended until they expire, so it is currently up to the individual towns (county and state don’t bother from what I can tell) to decide if they will turn a blind eye to our type of businesses, close them, or make up independent town resolutions allowing them to operate legally. Of course the law makes little sense since most of us now think of our animals as family members and that we should be able to keep them in a home accordingly and not be limited to the traditional kennel setting. Sites like dogvacay.com, care.com and sittercity.com all help people facilitate our alternative in-home type of care, which is clearly in high demand, but as mentioned, no one on those sites is checked or monitored for approval to operate.

@doodle74, we are already booked up for the holidays but I would say it is up to you to use your best judgment in finding a place for your dog for the holidays. If the legality of the place is more important to you than the home atmosphere, I suggest you look at actual kennels. I recommend Morris Animal Inn. We hope you find the right place for you and your pup! Feel free to schedule an interview with us for future care after the holidays

Thank you very much for the information.

Not a fan of Morris Animal Inn but thank you for the suggestion. I will have someone to stay at my house for the holidays, I hope the money is worth it!

@Gabbie I will definitely contact you after the holidays.

Thank you

I would imagine that your homeowners insurance would go bats##t crazy if they heard you were boarding dogs. What if someone gets bit?

Gabbie,

Gabbie said:

Unfortunately, the regulations cannot be amended until they expire

This is untrue, you may petition for a rule change. Check the website of the Office of Administrative Law. and the Department of Health which regulates Animal Welfare.

This is an excerpt of the statute that enables a rulemaking:

N.J.A.C. 52:14B-4 Adoption, amendment, repeal of rules.
…(f) An interested person may petition an agency to adopt a new rule, or amend or repeal any existing rule. Such petition may be submitted to the agency through mail, e-mail, electronic mailing list, or through any other means. Each agency shall prescribe by rule the form for the petition and the procedure for the consideration and disposition of the petition. The petition shall state clearly and concisely:

(1) The substance or nature of the rule-making which is requested;

(2) The reasons for the request and the petitioner's interest in the request;

(3) References to the authority of the agency to take the requested action.

The petitioner may provide the text of the proposed new rule, amended rule

If you know other in-home animal caregivers, it might be worthwhile to explore amending a rule that that may be violated, and change it so that they don't risk their livliehood.

I dog sit in my home if you would like to pm me and I could meet your dog.

An alternative would be, to have somebody come to your home 3 - 4 times/day and take care of your pooch! This way your dog is in his/her own environment and is not exposed to other animals or diseases.

If you are interested please feel free to email me: Zue@SilverHoundDogWalking.com.
You can also call me anytime: 862-520-8245 or visit our website: www.SilverHoundDogWalking.com

And we are a registered business and insured - so everything is legit.
We can also provide several references.

Petsitters are great for daily absences from home. Someone can come in for exercise, potty break, check water bowls, feed, etc. But because dogs are pack animals, a single dog should never be left alone overnight, and two or more dogs should not be left alone over night, because even though the chances of anything untoward happening may be slim,in your mind, why would you chance it? As smart as my dog is, she still can't dial 911.

FilmCarp said:

I would imagine that your homeowners insurance would go bats##t crazy if they heard you were boarding dogs. What if someone gets bit?

Doggone Farm has been fully insured since we opened in 2012 and our home owners insurance is aware of our business and other policy coverage. We are professionals and have taken great time and care setting up our business to run legally and responsibly

Of course, I wasn't aiming that comment at any specific group, it was just a general statement. We love your place, Fang had a good time. We just haven't needed to board lately.