Mike Mead and Anna Bryant started K9 Home Boarding in 2011; following Mike’s death in November 2015, it is now solely run by Anna. Their initial objective was to find loving, experienced homes from home for dogs to go to when the owners were away, and that continues to be the focus of the business.  

Home Boarders are subject to careful selection and must be former dog owners or have experience of living with dogs.  They must have a secure house and garden, no pre-school age children and should be at home most of the time.   Written references are taken up and support is provided 24 hours a day.  Procedures are in place to deal with emergencies etc.  
 

Home Boarders do NOT have dogs of their own and only accept two dogs if they are from the same owner.   
When a dog owner wants to use our services they can submit an enquiry form using the link below.  At the same time, they are asked to read through and confirm that they accept the Terms and Conditions.   No action is taken to find a Home Boarder until the form has been completed.

  
A potential Home Boarder who is free for the relevant dates and is happy to look after that type and age of dog (or dogs – maximum of two from one owner) is then approached.  The information supplied by the owner is given to them and they can decide if they’d like to take things one stage further.  

If so, their telephone number is given to the dog owner who is asked to make contact and arrange to take their dog/s for a visit at a mutually convenient time.  This is the owner’s opportunity to see where their dog/s could be staying and meet the person who will be looking after them.  It also gives the potential Home Boarder the chance to decide if they would be willing to have the dog/s in their home.  

If both parties are happy, the reservation is logged on our computerised system together with agreed drop off and pick-up times and the membership fee and a deposit of 25% becomes payable to secure the booking.  The balance is payable 2-3 weeks before the booking start date. Subsequent bookings do not require the payment of a deposit.  

A Supplementary Information form accompanies the final invoice which requests detailed information on feeding and exercise habits, daily routine, likes and dislikes of the dog and any potential issues which the Home Boarder should know about, e.g. if the dog is likely to be  frightened by motor bikes when out on a walk.   The Home Boarders are all experienced enough to know that there is no such thing as a “perfect” dog so if the dog likes to chew slippers or dig up garden plants, this is the owner’s chance to let them know!   

On the first day, the owner delivers the dog to the Home Boarder along with food, lead and collar, treats, toys, bowls, poo bags and anything else that may be required to ensure the dog has a comfortable stay.   A copy of the Supplementary form is handed to the Home Boarder and another is returned to K9 Home Boarding.

The Home Boarders are sufficiently experienced to deal with minor emergencies but they also have 24 hour contact numbers should the need arise. Should there be an incident the dog will be taken to their usual vet.  You (or your nominated person) will be contacted and you’ll be kept in touch with developments where practicable.  

Almost without exception dogs settle into their new holiday home within 24-hours – even if it’s the first time they’ve been away from their owners. Dogs are very adaptable and when they realise they have the Home Boarders all to themselves they tend to take full advantage of the situation!  

Some of our regular owners book up to a year in advance to ensure they secure the services of their favourite Home Boarder.  Please be aware that availability at Christmas is strictly limited – please book early to avoid disappointment.    

Please remember to collect your dog when you return! Warning: it’s very likely that your dog will have been spoiled by the Home Boarder while you’re away.  As a result although they’ll be pleased to see you on your return don’t be too disappointed if they’re reluctant to leave their home-from-home (they know which side their bones are buttered on)!  
 

Charges are the same throughout the year except the Christmas period.    Please click here for more details on our charges.

This website gives more information and usual office hours apply.  There is an Answerphone outside these hours from which messages are regularly retrieved and during evenings and weekends, requests for information are usually dealt with promptly.   
 

Feedback is encouraged and this website has testimonials from satisfied owners.  In the unlikely event of a complaint, this will be thoroughly and objectively investigated and an attempt made to reach a solution to the satisfaction of all parties. 

WORTHING AND ARUN HOME DOG BOARDING

In the Worthing and Arun area the major towns we cover include:

BRIGHTON HOME DOG BOARDING

Our Brighton territory starts in Shoreham in the west and includes all Brighton and Hove suburbs

Please see the links below for more information on how to make a booking, a handy Frequently Asked Questions section and some comments by our happy customers. 

You can call us on 01273 317176 between the hours of  09.00 and 18.00 Monday to Friday and between 09.00 and 12.00 Saturdays

Emergency only outside these hours please

Or you can Email K9 Home Boarding any time at: info@dogboardingsussex.co.uk

THE SMALL PRINT

K9 Home Boarding operates as a club; all dog owners who complete and return our forms become members and all Home Boarders are members of the K9 Home Boarding club as well.  All new dog owners must visit a prospective Home Boarder before a booking can be confirmed and they’ll be required to pay a deposit on their first booking.  The balance will normally be invoiced approximately two weeks before the caring period starts.

Dog owners who have completed at least one booking are not required to pay a deposit on future bookings.  But if a dog owner has to use a Home Boarder they have not used before they must arrange a visit prior to a booking being confirmed.

Payment for bookings must be received and cleared prior to the caring period starting.  To cover initial administration costs a one-off membership fee of £15 is payable on a first booking and added to the initial invoice.  All administration and invoicing is handled by K9 Home Boarding.

Once a visit has been completed, a dog owner is asked to complete a Supplementary Information form.  We collect as much information as we can about the dog, their feeding and exercise times, ailments and medication (if any) and additional relevant information.  We also record emergency contact numbers and addresses as well as the name and number of the regular veterinary surgery.

Home Boarders are provided with copies of the information sheets and emergency (out of hours) contact numbers. K9 Home Boarding provide 24-hour support to Home Boarders by providing advice, collecting and transporting dogs to veterinary practices if necessary and contacting the owners.  In fact we do all we can to ensure the health and welfare of dogs in our care.

For bookings of any duration during the summer months we require as much notice as possible because July, August and September are usually fully booked months in advance.

Once a new member has paid a deposit, if a booking has to be cancelled due to travel problems or immediate family illness the deposit will normally be returned but the £15 membership fee will be retained. However, any owner who has paid their final invoice and is within two weeks of the booking start date when they cancel will be charged a cancellation fee.  Full details of our cancellation policy can be found in our Terms and Conditions.

OUR CHARGES

There is a one-off registration fee of £15 which is added to your first invoice.

Our charges are £26 a day for the first dog irrespective of breed or size.  There’s a minimum charge of £26 (one day) but after that we can also charge in half day units.  If you own a second dog and s/he will be staying with the same carer for the same period the charge for two dogs will be £40 a day.  During the Christmas period (24th December to 1st January inclusive) these charges increase by 50%.  

One dog per 24-hours to include:

* an initial meeting with the suggested Home Boarder in their home so you can see where your dog will be staying

* solo home boarding for your dog (i.e. there will be no other dogs resident at the same time)

* unlimited walks as appropriate

* provision of Supplementary form to cover your dog’s routine, feeding, exercise and any medication requirements

* 24-hour back up

* full third party and public liability insurance (please note this does not cover damage to a carer’s home or possessions — you will be liable for any or all costs.)

* no minimum stay and

* apart from the period from 24 December to 1 January, no Bank holiday supplements.

£26 a day for the first dog irrespective of breed or size.

Two dogs per 24 hours (to include all items mentioned above):

£40 a day irrespective of breed or size.

Cancellation charges apply — Where notice  is within two weeks of the booking start date there will be a charge of 25% of the full invoice value with a minimum fee of two days’ normal rate, £52 for one dog and £80 for two dogs.  It is often possible to claim cancellation charges from your holiday travel insurance.

Please see our Terms & Conditions for more information.