We offer boarding for cats and dogs at Valley Veterinary Hospital in Ellensburg on a reservation basis. Boarding your pet with us will give you peace of mind as our veterinary care team is close by to help your pet through any issues that may arise while you are away. We can administer oral medications, insulin injections, and other treatments as needed. We provide all boarders with fresh water and clean bedding and tidy up their houses regularly. You can bring your pets’ regular food or let them enjoy our high quality sensitive stomach kibbles.

We have ten indoor canine runs that can comfortably accommodate up to two large dogs. Our kennel sizes vary and can house up to two small dogs so that buddies can stay together if they would like. In addition, we remodeled our indoor barn stalls into six canine suites! These can accommodate up to 5 dogs from the same family. We are also very excited to have a family suite which is incredibly versatile and includes an optional doggy door to an outdoor run! All dogs are let out into our outdoor play areas for 10-15 minutes three-four times a day. These runs are 15 feet by 48 feet and are directly attached to the dog rooms and suite so leashes are not required once your dog has checked in. All fencing is buried one foot deep with concrete basing under all gates and exterior fencing is angled inward at the top to prevent diggers and climbers from escaping. These runs are wonderful for playing fetch, sunbathing and watching the birds in the field next door. Gravel and astroturf are used to ensure good gripping for our older or unstable guests as well as keeping it easy to sanitize regularly. If your pet would appreciate extra activity time, we offer personalized time for an additional fee.

Our feline friends have their own room on the opposite end of the clinic from the dogs, which greatly helps reduce the amount of dog noises and smells they experience during their stay. When nervous kitties are staying with us we often use privacy curtains and Feliway (a calming feline pheromone) to help keep them as comfortable as possible. The new cat room offers 6 cat condos with built in perches and pass-through tunnels. The tunnels allow us to open up multiple condos for your baby if you wish as well as giving us a low contact way to tidy houses of anti-social guests. We often take turns letting each kiddo out to roam the room to give them opportunities to explore, stretch and play or nap. The cat room window has a deep perch ideal for resting and watching the birds at the feeder outside! It also offers a scratching post, climbing perches and staff assisted laser pointer play-time! For busy holidays, we open up a second cat room with 7 kennels and a happy lamp to keep them comfortable.

In order to help reduce separation anxiety and stress during boarding stays, we proudly use low stress handling techniques, calming music and therapeutic grade aromatherapy. We highly recommend bringing food from home to avoid changing your pets diet and causing stomach upset. Guests that come with loved items from home tend to be more comfortable while here. However, stressful events like boarding can increase the likelihood of bedding destruction so choose carefully when packing for their stay. 

As boarding demand increased over the last few years, we were very excited to create a Boarding Manager. Melissa Wolford, L.V.T. first started with Valley Veterinary Hospital as an Animal Caretaker in 2006. She graduated from Yakima Valley Community College in 2012 with an Associate of Applied Sciences Degree in Veterinary Technology and received her license later that year before becoming a full-time staff member. As demand increased even further, we hired a Boarding Assistant Manager, Vaile Boleyn. Our Boarding Managers and Animal Caretakers rotate shifts to make sure your canine and feline kids are cared for from at least 7:00am-7:00pm on weekdays and throughout the weekends.

When you call for a boarding reservation, you will be transferred to the boarding desk where one of our dedicated boarding staff members will answer any questions you have and ask of few of their own to get us better acquainted with your furry kids prior to their stay. They will also confirm vaccine status and help you decide which space or extra amenities are best for your pet(s). When you arrive, we will help you complete our boarding contract sheet where we learn about your pet’s normal habits, your concerns and how to get in contact with you if we need to while you are away. We will also give your pet a brief complimentary exam to check for any obvious external health concerns while they are here. If you would like to see and/or fill out the policy in advance to save some time at check-in, it can be downloaded from our ‘Printable Client Forms’ page on this website or you can swing by and pick up a copy! We are happy to send e-mail or text message updates as we are able while you are away! Print a Boarding Contract

The boarding building has it's own lobby hours. Boarders can be checked in or out Monday-Friday 8:00am-12:00pm and 2:00pm-5:00pm, Saturday 8:00am-12:00pm and Sunday evenings by appointment from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Each Holiday is unique so be sure to ask what our scheduled check-in and check-out times are near the holiday you are booking. Our facebook page and voicemail always have this information as well. Melissa's goal, and ours, is to make you feel as relaxed as possible while you are away and to make every pets stay unique, just like they are! We don't promise that everything will go perfectly, as you can never predict that. We promise that we will contact you with any concerns, will always be honest with you while you are away and will use all the tools at our disposal to make a bond with your pet and keep them as happy and comfortable as possible while you are away. If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 509 925 6146, send a text message to 509-653-5533 or send an e-mail to valvetboarding@fairpoint.net!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can I have medical appointments, prescriptions refilled while my pet is boarding? A: Yes! When you call to make reservations, be sure to ask and we will schedule exams, dental cleanings, nail trims, etc. during your pets stay. To ensure adequate time is available in the Doctors schedule at Valley Vet, please help us set this up as far in advance as possible. If you need a prescription refill that you typically have filled at our practice, please call in the day before drop off or send us a text message so we can get the refill started as the can take up to 48 hours to be filled. 

 Q. What about Grooming? A. Jenn's Pet Parlor has moved! She is now located in the business park behind our buildings which makes for a short commute when getting groomed while boarding. She books up quickly so be sure to call at least 10 days ahead! You can reach Jenn at (253) 245 0791. We have a line on our boarding contract that now allows permission for a specific person or business to take your pet off site during their stay. This can be used for visits with someone familiar who is still in town, your favorite groomer to take them for a spa day, etc. We offer several services on site as well that may compliment your pets' stay. See our boarding sheet and speak with us at check-in to confirm options and pricing!

Q: What should I bring with my pet? A: You are not required to bring anything but you can bring almost anything! We serve a sensitive stomach dry kibble but are more than happy to keep them on their normal diet while here if you bring it with them. Their houses are completely their own so feel free to bring some bedding and toys along. We are not here 24 hours a day and therefore cannot take responsibility for damage that occurs to your belongings. We have a plethora of bedding, cots and bowls and will add to whatever you bring from home! We recommend that metal bowls be left at home or be clearly labelled. 

Q: Can my cats and dogs stay together? A: Yes! We currently have two family suites that allow us to make unique spaces for each family. The suites book up quickly so be sure to make reservations in advance! 

Q: What if my pet needs extra outside time or has special medical needs? A: We are more than happy to accommodate as much as we can! Our standard requests and the associated fees are located on the boarding contract and we are always happy to answer any questions you have or give you a quote!

Q: Melissa and Vaile cannot work constantly. Who comes in to take care of our kids when they are not here? A: We have some wonderful Animal Caretakers who rotate shifts. Matt, Cord, Alicia, Whitney, Heather, Sawyer, Casey and Hannah love to spend time with our boarders. Feel free to say hi when you are in the hospital and check out our staff photos in the hospital lobby!

Q: Is the building air conditioned? A: Yes! During our 2016 renovation both the ducting and A/C unit were upgraded so that all areas are climate controlled. We have central heating and two rooms with additional furnaces to help keep them as comfortable as possible in the winter as well. 

Q: When can I pick up and drop off my pet(s)? A: We are open Monday-Friday 8:00am-12:00pm and 2:00pm-5:00pm, Saturdays 8:00am-12:00pm and Sundays 4:00pm-6:00pm. The lunch time closure on weekdays allows us the opportunity to give our guests our full attention for mid day activities and care and guarantees that our staff members get a break. You may request after hours check-ins or check-outs which are subject to availability and incur an extra fee to account for the additional staff time.

Q: Do my pets need to be vaccinated and treated for fleas prior to their stay? A: We do not currently require that boarders be on a flea preventative as all guests are checked for evidence of fleas at arrival. We do highly recommend it, however, as fleas and ticks are present in Kittitas County year round. This is especially important in the Spring and Summer months as ticks are most prevalent.
Vaccines are required to board. We require dogs to be up to date on Rabies, Distemper/Parvo and Bordetella vaccines. We are not currently requiring the Canine Influenza vaccine but do highly recommend it. As of January 2018, positive cases of Canine Influenza have been reported in Sacramento, California and Ontario, Canada. Please check our Facebook page for updates on the progress on Canine Influenza cases near Washington State.
Cats are required to be up to date on Rabies, FvRCP and FeLV. If you have questions about when these vaccines should be boostered for them to be considered up to date, please do not hesitate to call! We do accept home vaccinated pets but must know what product was used and on what date it was administered. It is important to know that vaccines purchased and given at home do not carry the same guarantees as veterinary administered vaccines.

Q: How can I get ahold of you while my pet is in your care?
A: 1. You can call Valley Veterinary Hospital at 509 925 6146. During business hours you can ask for boarding and will be transferred to us (during our lunchtime closure you will be able to leave a voicemail). After hour, you can press 3 to be connected to the boarding phone.
2. You can send boarding a text message at 509 653 5533. Even when the hospital is closed, one of our staffers is monitoring this line. This number is linked to a computer and therefore calls get transferred to the hospital line. 
3. You can send boarding an e-mail at valvetboarding@fairpoint.net. We check for messages throughout business hours and periodically on weekends.
4. You can send us a message on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyVetBoarding/

Q: Are the pets used in the photos on this site and on your facebook page actual boarders?
A: Yes, they are! These are actual guests and staff :)

Updated 02/07/2019