Reservations:
We process your Visa or Master Card at the time of booking your pet's reservation. We do not use 24 hour rates.Our rates are by-the-night with an 11 am check out Monday to Saturday. We are cage free and not a conventional boarding kennel. 

Cancellations:
We need a 7 day; one week notice for all cancellations.  It is a common within the pet care industry that friends or family last minute volenteer to take care of a pet when the business has held a reservation.  Good clients will say they have made a reservation already.  If an improper cancellation was not provided monies will be lost.  If adequate notice is provided a one full day rate is used as a non-refundable reservation fee and the balance paid is returned to the client.  In case of unforseen crisis or dilemma that creats a last minute cancellation we can at our discretion keep a one day non-refundible reservation fee and give a credit in our accounting for future use (these credits have no cash redeemible value).

Bring proof of current vaccinations ( or immunity teeter)

1. We require current immunity against:  Rabies, infectious diseases combination series, and Bordetella (kennel cough). Please double check to see that your dog has its Bordetella. Some Veterinarians leave it to you to ask for it. We will not let your dog into the general population without it and will charge you $35 a day to keep it separate, or send you to a local veterinarian who will charge you more than you getting it from your own veterinarian before you come.
2. We will accept the following: Veterinary receipts, health declarations and/or health cards, immunity teeter counts and/or verbal confirmation from Veterinary hospital.
3. Rabies Tags are not proof of vaccinations. 
4. Last minute vaccinations are okay as the Veterinarian must examine your dog prior to vaccinating them and will not vaccinate a sick dog.  We have two local veterinary hospitals who try to fit in last minute persons who have arrived and discovered they did not have Bordetella. 

Owners who forget their dog's vaccination proof and if their veterinarian is not available (weekends or holidays) to verify their vaccinations they will need to pay an additional $35 per day and their dog will not be allowed with other dogs until their veterinarian can verify their vaccinations.  Our segregation areas are limited and there is a fee for your dog being kept in a dog park by themselves. 

Please note: 

We require proof that your dog is fully vaccinated. All our guests, like your dog, are fully vaccinated for infectious diseases and Bordetella. It is very unlikely your fully vaccinated dog will become ill when in contact with other fully vaccinated dogs, however should that ever occur it would be a fault of the vaccine company and not the facility.   We have not had a problem in this regard due to that diligence in requiring all pets to be vaccinated. 

Diarrehea can occur for many reasons such as changes in water as well as food, and simply as a result of excitement and stress.  Thankfully most dogs rid themselves of stress through the ability to have large areas to move around in.  Its a good idea to bring your dogs regular food but also to be prepared should your dog have diarrehea.  Much like us when we travel to exotic places, different water flora can effect us.  While Happy Tails is fortunate to be in the kettle lake area (headwaters) for Lake of Bays and have excellent spring fed ponds, it is possible your dog may drink from a puddle in the dog park or simply be water sensitive and get diarrehea.   Diarrehea is always a possibilities when putting your dog in any facility and not a reflection of neglect or our financial responsibility.  

Most of our clients are on flea, tick and heart worm prevention.  We have never had a tick in our facility.  We do not have fleas as a result of so many dogs being on prevention medications.  Since most parasite diseases take a long time to show up and it is the owners responsibility to regularly test their dog stools and blood for parasites or keep them on prevention medications.

OUR HOURS:

By way of an explanation, we have set times to arrive and depart. We do not want our pet guests to hear vehicles coming and going outside our public hours.  We want our guests to be very happy.  Dogs behave much like children in a daycare they personalize every situation.  When a vehicle arrives when we are closed.  Its out the ordinary and they race to the entry points and hang around gathering tension when they should be enjoying the activities and wide open spaces of our large dog parks.  We need them to run, play and swim and forget about their owners and we can't do that when we have others wanting to come in during our none-public times. 

The reason why we don't open early in the morning:  We want the pet guests to have a couple of hours to wake up, and enjoy an early morning session and get rod of the surplus adrenalin before the new dogs arrive at 9 am.  It makes for better mixing right off the start. 

The reason why want pets to arrive from 9 to 11 am:  Pets need lots of time to become familiar with our facility and need to run off their nervous adrenalin created from being in a new situation and being separated from their owners.   The following is a fact ; dogs who travel a long distance; who are shy and nervous, who suffer separation anxiety can be very happy campers if they arrive in our morning check ins. Those same dogs find it difficult to arrive between our 4 - 6 pm pick up time.  The dogs already here made friends during the day, want to eat their suppers and sleep. The late arriving new dogs feel like the last kids picked for the school team. They feel like uncomfortable outsider in the circle of happy canine friends.  

The reason why we close at 12 noon and open between 4 and 6 pm.  We need all the dogs (new and established) to become engaged with fun things and totally relax and enjoy their day without thinking of the two legged family that controls every aspect of their lives.  They are used to their owners controlling every aspect of their lives; when they eat, go to the bathroom, get to play, if they have a dog walker or wait the day in an apartment till their owners return.  Here they need to shake off the confines we human's have put on their lives and enjoy some great vacation things dogs have always enjoyed but for the last few centuries have it under lock and key.   

The reason why we can't check dogs in or out after 6 pm. After a full day of exercise and play, the dogs eat a good meal and settle in with their full bellies with their new friends to take on some serious dog-napping that takes them mellowy through the night.  If they are disturbed by vehicles or people after hours they are immediately reminded of their owners and going home and it takes the quiet calm away from them, and many have a hard time settling after that. 

Our professional decision. We can't let a few people stretch their arrivals or departures into the dogs' private hours.  We'd rather stick to the things we know by experience makes our pet guests the happiest and that is by restricting the public hours. Owners who want a guilt free option totally get this statement:  We are here for the dogs' happiness first and the clients who pay their bills second.  

We encourage our guests to arrive in the 9 - 11 am check in time, or to request check in or out between 11 and 12 noon Monday to Saturday. We can by appointment release dogs on between 12 - 1 pm or 4 - 6 pm on Sundays as a courtesy. However we do charge for Sunday.

But you are driving from a long ways away:  Our classic Muskoka resorts are wonderful places to explore, go for a game of golf, a spa treatment, go for a nice lunch. There are lots of great things to do in Muskoka until you can check into your rooms.  If you head to Muskoka early in the morning you avoid the cottage traffic that can add 2 to 6 hours to your travel.  You get a lot more value to your getaway by almost a full day of play for yourselves too.  Cars can be packed the night before and children can be loaded in their pjs for a real exciting adventure.  Many of our clients do just that and arrive comfortably in our time frames from places such as Ottawa, Sudbury, Niagara, etc.  And if you are working the day, what better excuse to play hooky than for the love of family (including your dog and their happiness).

Why we want pets to arrive early:
We need to be sure pets are adjusting and coming in and out the lodgings and fitting in so they will be relaxed come night fall.  Late arrival pets often cry which disturbs the happy dogs and camp counsellors who have been here all day or have put in long hours at work who want to sleep.  

All pets must arrive and depart with a properly fitted collar, halter, or harness and leash, or in a secure pet carrier.

Insurance requires no pets arrive or depart off-leash in public areas.

Arrival and Departures:

Monday to Saturday please arrive between 9 am and 11 am

Afternoon departures can be booked by appointment between 4 and 6 pm but another day rate is applied that is good until the next morning. Except for Sundays as we are closed and do not allow vehicles before noon. 

Need to arrive a bit later?:
By appointment we can stretch the 11 am until 12 noon. 

By appointment between 4 and 6 pm.
Our later time is for pick ups rather than drop offs and those who require us to accept their pets during this time should arrive at 4 pm.  There may be an extra charge for arriving late to compensate for extra care that is necessary to make your pets stay comfortable.  Its not ideal, but its better than locking them into a conventional kennel.

Sundays:
We have no office or reception hours on Sundays and charge for the full day until Monday am.  We can release pets by appointment on Sunday between 12 noon and 1 pm or  between 4 and 6 pm but a full day rate applies.We MUST close at 12 noon and if you are unable to arrive by that time it is necessary for you to come back between our 4 - 6 pm time.

 Bring Pet’s Regular Food & Treats

Please

1. Do not bring dishes, scoops, returnable containers or surplus food you want returned.
2. Pre-pack just enough food with maybe a day or so extra and keep anything you want back. 
3. Use a recyclable shopping bag with your pet's name, breed or mix, meal size and frequency written clearly inside the top, or with masking tape on outside.
4. A reuseable card with same information clipped on the top of the bag helps too as we can reuse it on top of his prepared food.
5. Do not include medication in pet’s food as this is dangerous.
   We need to have all medication clearly marked and administrate it ourselves and there is a charge for that service. Do not put it in your pet’s food.
6. Raw food, refrigerated or special preparation meals are $2 per meal extra. Again do not bring surplus that you want returned.

Please

1. Do not bring the Sunday Best (bedding, pet coat, favourite toy) as we cannot be responsible for anything left with your dog. 
2. Do not bring stuffed beds or toys as some dogs will ingest stuffing. 

Massaging Spa Bath for Pick Up Day:
Our guests swim, frog hunt, and do fun things with other dogs.  A strong smell of dog will be noticeable to those who prefer a more coiffured smell.  Its recommended that you schedule your dog for a Massaging Spa Bath to relax him or her and send them home smelling of fresh dog shampoo.  If you would like to use our elevated bathtub during our public hours you may bring pet shampoo & towels and bath your own pet at no charge.