Make Holiday Reservations NOW!
We have a handful of spots left for Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, if you are planning on going away for the holidays and need to board your special companion, call us NOW!!

Casa Canine Closing for Vacation and Maintenance in January

Casa Canine will be closed for vacation and maintenance in January 2008 from January 6-26. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and are happy to help you find other accommodations if needed during that time.

New Hours of Operation

Casa Canine will now be closed daily from noon until 2 p.m. Since we have been so busy, we have decided that we need to close each day for a lunch break and time to catch up on phone calls, e-mails, and errands. Also, this will allow an uninterrupted naptime for the doggies. Drop off hours stay the same, from 8 a.m. to noon daily, and pick-up hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. We will no longer accept arrivals or departures outside of these hours. Thank you for your cooperation.

Casa Canine Survives First Kennel-Cough Outbreak

In mid-August of this summer, Casa Canine had an outbreak of kennel cough. Although we have seen isolated cases in the past, we have never had a full outbreak in our facility. This was a rather aggressive form with severe symptoms, and other facilities, such as daycares, kennels, vets and the Humane Society, were also hit. Kennel cough is an upper respiratory infection much like a human cold. It can be caused by different agents, such as viruses and bacteria. The bordetella vaccine cannot fully prevent an infection. In general, a kennel cough infection will go away on its own. Symptoms are usually just a cough, and the dog often has normal energy levels and appetite.

Unfortunately, we are not always aware of a dog infected with kennel cough. Dogs may cough for other reasons, such as a piece of grass caught in their throat, or drinking water too quickly...perfectly normal! By the time we realize that the dog is infected, it is too late. Kennel cough is spread like human cold and flu, via direct contact and airborne particles. At Casa Canine, dogs are close to each other all day. Also, dogs play with their mouths and drink from the same water dishes, so the risk of infection is higher in a group setting such as Casa Canine. Basically, once it is in the facility, there is not a lot we can do. We did separate the symptomatic dogs to the back rooms, and we had separate potty and play outings. After about a week, the outbreak seemed to be under control. Please remember, if your dog is coughing (a dog cough looks and sounds like the dog is clearing its throat), do not bring them to Casa Canine. The only way to prevent outbreaks it to prevent sick dogs from entering our facility.

Pick-up Times and Daycare Charges

As a reminder, if you pick up your doggie from boarding after 4 p.m., there is an additional daycare charge of $20 added to your bill. Casa Canine actually has a much later "check-out time," before incurring this extra charge, than other similar facilities in the Puget Sound region.

E-mailing Vs. Calling

Please know that we are happy to communicate with you via e-mail, telephone, and in person. We will accept reservations in any of these three ways. But, please know that from time to time, we have e-mail problems, and sometimes do not receive e-mails. Also, if you need to make a change on the day you are arriving (such as arrival time or cancelling), it is best to CALL us. Sometimes, we don't always have a chance to check our e-mail during the day, so if you e-mail your change in plans, we are not aware of it!

Reminder- Casa Canine Now Accepts VISA and MasterCard!

We are happy to announce that we now accept VISA and MasterCard credit cards. We hope this will be an added convenience for our clients. Of course, we are always happy to accept cash or your personal check.

Popular and Unique Doggie Names at the Casa!

We always enjoy learning the many different dog names of our canine guests. You might be interested to know that the most popular dog name we hear is "Bailey," and we have both male and female guests with this name. Like human baby names, dog names have "trends" of popularity as well. Some other popular names: Abby, Buddy, Cooper, Emma, Ginger, Lucy, Maggie, Riley, and Sadie.

We also have many dog guests with unique or unusual names, such as: Arthur, Bleecker, Bree, Du'uggie, Faramir, Finnigan, Guinness, Ike, Kainoa, Keiki, Kelty, Poirot, Sabakka, Sweetness, Turtle, and Whiskey. We have a handful of "sibling" guests both with unique or unusual names: Fargo & Mango, Loki & Thorbjorn, Moses & Pandora, and Zuki & Sienna.

Casa Canine’s Happy Canine Photos of the Quarter
Click here to see just a few of the happy faces, many of them new, seen this past quarter at the Casa...

Projects at the Casa
Unfortunately, we have had to put our field play area project on hold. We hope to be able to start in the spring. We are now planning an indoor project that will increase the size of the "TV" room. We plan to remove the wall separating this room and the small adjoining room. It will make more space for the doggies to rest and play inside!

Preserving Memories of Your Special Companion
Owner of Sweetness, a favorite canine guest at the Casa, has started a business that will help you to preserve special memories of your doggie! She creates digital photo albums and mini movies starring your doggie! Check out her website for more information: www.pawprintfilms.com

Another way to preserve memories: a portrait of your doggie. Julie Michels, owner of Rock Art Imagery, creates beautiful animal portraits on river rocks. Check out her website at www.rockartimagery.com

Thinking of Getting Another Dog? Think ADOPTION!
There are so many wonderful dogs out there, homeless and waiting to be adopted. If you are thinking about getting another dog, please think of these dogs and consider providing a home to one of them! Pet overpopulation is a huge problem! The shelters and rescue groups are overcrowded with these animals in need, and there are mixed breeds as well as purebred dogs. Check out petfinder.com to see all the wonderful animals seeking a forever home!

Please Check Our Website...
This will be our last newsletter alert via e-mail. From now on, please check our website on a quarterly basis to see our latest newsletter.

Previous Newsletters:
Premiere Edition
Summer Edition