Which Rules Should a Kennel Follow When an Owner Extends a Stay Mid Reservation?

Why extensions are harder than they look

An extension sounds like the easiest yes in the business: the dog is already here, just keep it. But the run is not necessarily free. Another dog may be booked into that exact run tomorrow morning. The owner packed food and medication for five nights, not seven. The staff schedule assumed a lighter day. The card on file was authorized for the original stay, and the deposit covered those nights only. Each of those small assumptions can turn a friendly phone call into a problem for the next shift.

Refusing, though, is a terrible outcome. The dog has nowhere else to go and the owner is stuck across the country. So the goal is not a strict policy that protects the kennel by saying no. It is a procedure that lets you say yes as often as possible while protecting the next reservation, keeping the dog's care intact, and getting paid for the extra nights without an awkward conversation at pick up. Related: When Should a Boarding Facility Turn Away a Pet for Health Reasons?

Keep reading: How Do Boarding Kennels Avoid Double Booking During Busy Holiday Weeks?, What Vaccination Proof Should a Boarding Facility Require Before a Pet's Stay?, Why Do Deposits Reduce No Shows for Pet Boarding Reservations?. See how PetStayr helps you pet boarding reservations and kennel availability.

Check availability by run, not by headcount

When the request comes in, look at that specific run's calendar for the added nights. If it is booked, look for any open run of a suitable size and plan a move; dogs cope well with changing runs when their own bedding goes with them. If nothing is open, consider whether an incoming reservation could go into a different run size at the same price, or whether a family pair could share. Only after those options are exhausted do you say no, and even then you say it with a referral to a nearby kennel you trust. Related: What Makes Pet Owners Trust a Boarding Kennel With Their Dog?

This is where the tool you use matters. A system that books by named run shows the conflict instantly. A system that only compares total dogs against total runs can report availability while two dogs are pointed at the same run on the same night. On a paper board, write extensions in a different color the moment they are agreed so the next shift does not sell that run. We covered double booking more broadly in an earlier article; the mid stay extension is the single most common way it happens in practice. Related: How Do Boarding Kennels Avoid Double Booking During Busy Holiday Weeks?

Supplies, medication, and care changes

Ask immediately whether the dog has enough food and medication for the extra nights. If food is short, ask the owner where to get more, whether a family member can drop some off, or whether they are comfortable with a gradual switch to your house food, and note whatever they decide. Medication is not optional. If it will run out, call the owner's vet for a refill authorization to a local pharmacy or clinic, or have the emergency contact bring it. Never skip doses because the bottle is empty.

Update the run card and the reservation record with the new pick up date and window, any food change, and the additional charges. Tell the next shift out loud, not only in the notes. Extensions are the classic source of the thought he was going home today problem, where a dog gets bathed and packed for a pick up that is not coming, and then bathed again two days later. A visible change on the card prevents that. Related: What Is the Best Way to Set Check In and Pick Up Windows at a Boarding Kennel?

Charging for the extra nights

Charge extended nights at the same nightly rate, or the peak rate if the added nights fall inside your published peak dates, and charge them when the extension is requested, either to the card on file or through a fresh authorization by phone. Do not wait for pick up. Send a written confirmation of the new dates and amount by text or email. If an owner simply does not show up and cannot be reached, that is no longer an extension but an overstay, and your written overstay policy, with its timelines, emergency contact calls, and notice period under your state's rules, takes over.

Put the rule in the confirmation email in plain language: extensions are subject to availability and are charged at the current nightly rate when requested, and if your run is needed for an incoming reservation we may move your pet to another suitable run. When an extension truly displaces a new arrival, keep the dog that is already in the building, since that dog has nowhere to go while the incoming owner is still local and can be helped. Call that incoming owner as early as possible with an alternative rather than telling them at the door.